diff --git "a/raw_rss_feeds/https___www_space_com_feeds_all.xml" "b/raw_rss_feeds/https___www_space_com_feeds_all.xml"
--- "a/raw_rss_feeds/https___www_space_com_feeds_all.xml"
+++ "b/raw_rss_feeds/https___www_space_com_feeds_all.xml"
@@ -10,8 +10,83 @@
<![CDATA[ Latest from Space.com ]]>
https://www.space.com
- Thu, 01 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000
+ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0000en
+
+ <![CDATA[ One of the best meteor showers of the year peaks at the worst possible time this week ]]>
+ Early each January, the Quadrantid meteor stream provides one of the most intense annual meteor displays, with a brief, sharp maximum that lasts only a few hours.
The meteors of this first shower of the year radiate from the northeast corner of the constellation of Boötes, the Herdsman, so we might expect them to be called the "Boötids." But back in the late-18th century, there was a constellation here called Quadrans Muralis, the "Mural or Wall Quadrant" (an astronomical instrument). It is one of the many constellation names that have fallen into disuse. Thus, the meteors were christened "Quadrantids" and even though the constellation from which these meteors appear to radiate no longer exists, the shower's original moniker continues to this day.
Crumbs of a dead comet?
At peak activity, 60 to 120 Quadrantid meteors per hour can be seen under ideal conditions. However, the influx is sharply peaked: just six hours before and after maximum, these blue meteors appear at only half of their highest rates. This suggests that the stream of particles is relatively narrow — possibly derived fairly recently from a small comet.
In fact, in 2003, astronomer Peter Jenniskens of NASA, found a near-Earth asteroid (2003 EH1), whose orbit closely matches that of the Quadrantid stream. Some astronomers suspect that this asteroid is actually a fragment of an old, "extinct" comet; perhaps the same comet that was recorded by Chinese, Korean, and Japanese observers during the years 1490-91. If so, that comet may have broken apart, with some of its debris becoming the meteoroids that now produce the Quadrantids.
2026: A poor year
The full moon on Jan. 3 will hinder Quadrantid meteor shower hunting efforts this year. (Image credit: Robert_Ford/Getty Images)
Unfortunately, 2026 will not be a good year to look for the "Quads." Chalk it up to poor timing.
First, the peak of this year's shower, according to Margaret Campbell-Brown and Peter Brown in the 2026 Observer's Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, is predicted for 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 3. That places the maximum during daylight hours for much of North America. But even if the peak were to occur at night, there is an even greater problem.
For on that very same day, the moon will turn full.
As a result, throughout the overnight hours of Saturday, Jan. 3, into Sunday, Jan. 4, the sky will be flooded with brilliant moonlight. The moon will remain above the horizon all night, located in the constellation of Gemini the Twins and not far from the planet Jupiter. That moonlight will squelch all but the very brightest of meteors.
Ordinarily, the Quadrantids are best seen just before dawn — around 6 a.m. local time — when the radiant, the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to emanate, is climbing higher into the northeastern sky.
If you do decide to head out to look for meteors, remember to bundle up! It is, after all, wintertime. And if you can't find someone who would care to share the viewing duties with you, a thermos jug of your favorite hot beverage — coffee, tea or cocoa — makes for a fine companion on a cold night.
Our tips for having the best meteor hunting experience. (Image credit: Created in Canva by Daisy Dobrijevic)
Two years from now, we could have a winner!
But as bad as it is for the Quadrantids this year, it will be a very different story in 2028.
That year, the peak of the shower is set for 5 a.m. EST on Jan. 4, which especially favors eastern North America. And the moon will be at a much more favorable phase: a fat waxing crescent, which will not be in the predawn sky at all and will thus be of absolutely no hindrance to meteor viewing compared to this year. Given clear skies, the "Quads" could turn out to be one of the best meteor displays of 2028.
]]>
+ https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/one-of-the-best-meteor-showers-of-the-year-peaks-at-the-worst-possible-time-this-week
+
+
+
+ X474bD3vQhxRrSs6i4FysX
+
+ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 22:00:00 +0000Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:43:07 +0000
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ <![CDATA[ Playmobil versus Lego: Which is the best USS Enterprise set? ]]>
+ To own the best U.S.S. Enterprise model on the market is something every Star Trek fan would love to do. We've reviewed both the Playmobil Enterprise and the brand-new Lego Enterprise, so which is better? We'll get into that below.
If you're a fan of Star Trek — and let's be real, if you weren't, you probably wouldn't be on this page — you'll probably be interested in the best U.S.S. Enterprise models on the market. Playmobil has enjoyed the title of being the major toy manufacturer with a seriously impressive Enterprise model, but Lego has now released its first-ever Star Trek set. We'll look at design, the features, the extras, the price and everything in between to determine which is best.
It's worth noting that these two sets, despite being models of the same ship, are vastly different. However, if you want to watch the Star Trek movies and TV shows, as well as other sci-fi hits, or you want to check out other top model ships, we recommend reading through the best streaming deals, best Lego Star Wars sets and best Lego space sets. But, to answer the question of which is the best model, U.S.S. Enterprise, read on.
Design
Image 1 of 4
We'll look at the design features of the Playmobil U.S.S. Enterprise compared to the Lego model. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 4
We'll look at the design features of the Playmobil U.S.S. Enterprise compared to the Lego model. (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 4
We'll look at the design of the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise in comparison to the Playmobil model. (Image credit: Ian Stokes / Future)
Image 4 of 4
We'll look at the design of the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise in comparison to the Playmobil model. (Image credit: Ian Stokes / Future)
When it comes to comparing the design of the two models, there are several things you can look at, despite the two models replicating the same ship. Firstly, the number of pieces that come with each set that you need to assemble. Lego's set offers you 3,600 pieces of building, while Playmobil offers a meager 150. That's simply because with Lego's set, the idea is to build the ship using lots of little plastic bricks, while the purpose of Playmobil's set is to assemble fewer, larger parts so you can get to playing with and displaying the set, along with the characters.
Naturally, Lego's new set is considerably more challenging and time-consuming to assemble. 3,600 pieces means you need to set aside several hours, if not a couple of days, to build this set. Large parts of it are mirrored, but it doesn't feel boring or repetitive. There are a couple of fiddly and flimsy parts towards the end, but overall it's an enjoyable build. Whereas Playmobil's Enterprise model has larger parts that clip together without any issue. The only fiddly details came from some smaller parts for the interior of the ship and plenty of stickers, but overall it was a relatively quick and enjoyable build.
Both sets are behemoths, although the Playmobil model dwarfs Lego's, measuring at 39.4 x 18.9 x 13.4 inches as opposed to 11 x 19 x 24 inches. Yes, Playmobil's model measures over a meter in length and can be hung from the ceiling, using the hanging wires included, whereas Lego's set comes on an angled stand to display.
Both can be played with, although they make for seriously impressive display items. The interior of the Playmobil can be accessed through a detachable roof, and it features LED lights and sound effects, too. Lego's set doesn't offer you anywhere near the same level of playability and really is designed as a display model for collectors and super-fans only.
Detail and Functionality
Image 1 of 4
The Interior of the Playmobil U.S.S Enterprise (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 4
The Lego U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D on its stand. (Image credit: Ian Stokes / Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Ian Stokes / Future)
We touched on the playability of the Playmobil Enterprise and the lack of it in the Lego set. The Playmobil set does offer LED light effects as well as sound effects, so you can go boldly where no Playmobil set has gone in your own adventures, and you get an augmented reality app. The LEDs used are multicolor and the sound effects range from lines from fan-favorite characters to warning alerts and more. No such features appear in Lego's set.
That's not to badmouth Lego's set at all, it's an accurate and faithful recreation of the iconic ship. It comes with its own display stand and information plaque, which emblazons the back wall of the ship's bridge and features key facts about the Enterprise. While there are some stickers and printed parts (these include the ship's registration along with emblems and decor), these are great additions and not too much hassle to attach.
Both sets come with figures, or minifigures. In Playmobil's set, you get Captain Kirk, Spock, Uhura, McCoy, Sulu, Scotty and Chekov figures. Lego's differs though, as you get Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Riker, Lieutenant Worf, Lieutenant Commander Data, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Lieutenant Commander La Forge, Counselor Deanna Troi, Bartender Guinan and Wesley Crusher. They also come with accessories, which include a teacup, trombone with a stand, a phaser, tricorder, engineering case, PADD, bottle, portable tractor beam generator and a cat figure.
Image 1 of 2
All the figures from the Playmobil U.S.S. Enterprise. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 2
All the figures from the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D. (Image credit: Ian Stokes / Future)
As mentioned in the section above, Playmobil's model also features some fine hanging wires, so your ship can hang from the ceiling and look as if it's venturing across the final frontier. While this isn't a feature of the Lego set, it probably wouldn't be a good idea, as a fall from any kind of height could put you back to square one with building it.
The key difference here is that one is so obviously a display piece and the other is a display piece with some cool playable features. The Lego set is aimed at those aged 18 and above, while the Playmobil set is for Trekkies over the age of 10. Yes, the Playmobil set is sturdier and has more playable features, but the Lego set has such great appeal.
Price
Image 1 of 2
The interior of the Playmobil USS Enterprise. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 2
A low-down view of the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D. (Image credit: Ian Stokes / Future)
A key factor in deciding if something is worth it, or indeed whether or not you'll actually buy it, is the price. Now, it's worth noting that Playmobil's U.S.S. Enterprise model has been around for a few years now, so it's come down in price since it first hit store shelves.
Playmobil's model first cost $500, which is a lot. It now typically retails for between $250 and $350, going off its price history, which is considerably less.
Lego's brand-new U.S.S. Enterprise will set you back $399.99. This is steep, but you get more than just the joy of showing it off or imagining your own adventures — the experience of building the whole thing is great, and it's not just clipping together some large parts. It's a journey and an experience as opposed to a play and display model.
Verdict
It would be easy to sit on the fence and say they're both good. But that's not why you're here. It's also not why we wrote the article, as tempting as it is. In short, however, it depends on what you want from your set.
If you're looking for playable options and extra effects, the Playmobil model is the better option. There's far less hassle in the building process, it's (now) cheaper, and it features a removable roof along with light and sound effects, as well as an app.
However, if you're a collector, a Lego fan or if you want to proudly display your ship, it's the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise by a country mile. Yes, the Playmobil model is larger, but bigger isn't always better. The satisfaction of the build, the incredible detail on the finished model and it being displayed at an angle really sells the Lego Enterprise as the better model if you're looking for anything other than playability.
]]>
+ https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-toys-lego/playmobil-versus-lego-which-is-the-best-uss-enterprise-set
+
+
+
+ 4cXeDUM5Fs7sZbCqmMfQUT
+
+ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 21:05:00 +0000Fri, 19 Dec 2025 15:50:42 +0000
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ <![CDATA[ Nebula nights: Award-winning sci-fi literature through the ages ]]>
+ Science fiction has always been more than just tales of aliens and spaceship. It's a genre that dares to ask "what if?" and explores the boundaries of technology, society, and human nature.
Over the decades, a select group of authors and stories have risen above the rest, earning prestigious accolades like the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards.
This quiz is your chance to dive into the literary side of sci-fi greatness. You'll encounter questions about iconic novels that reshaped the landscape, short stories that packed a universe into a few pages, and the brilliant minds behind them, from golden age pioneers to contemporary visionaries.
Whether it's Ursula K. Le Guin's philosophical depth, Octavia Butler's bold social commentary, or Ted Chiang's elegant precision, these works have left a lasting mark on speculative fiction.
See how well you score below!
]]>
+ https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-books/nebula-nights-award-winning-sci-fi-literature-through-the-ages
+
+
+
+ trvNGdaWVj5VD5MkA6Vh85
+
+ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 19:00:00 +0000Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:42:48 +0000
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ <![CDATA[ Moon landings, asteroid missions and new telescopes: Here are the top spaceflight moments to look forward to in 2026 ]]>
+ From astronauts circling the moon to spacecraft reaching Mercury and asteroids near Earth, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for space exploration.
Governments and private companies alike are preparing missions that could redefine how humans live and work in space, deepen our understanding of the solar system and push exploration farther than it's gone in decades.
Over the course of the year, space agencies and commercial providers are targeting a wide range of milestones, including NASA's first crewed Artemis mission beyond low Earth orbit, the debut of commercial space stations, new lunar landers and rockets, asteroid sample-return attempts and the launch or arrival of powerful next-generation space telescopes. Together, these missions reflect a rapidly evolving spaceflight landscape.
Here are the top space missions to watch in 2026.
1) Artemis 2 sends astronauts around the moon
The Artemis 2 astronauts (left to right: Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen) at an event at NASA's Johnson Space Center on Sept. 24, 2025. (Image credit: Space.com / Josh Dinner)
NASA's Artemis 2 mission will carry four astronauts on a roughly 10-day journey around the moon, marking humanity's first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Flying aboard the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, Artemis 2 will test life-support systems, navigation and communications in deep space ahead of future lunar landings. The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot) and Christina Koch (mission specialist), along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist). The mission is currently targeting a launch no earlier than Feb. 5, 2026, though the exact date will depend on technical readiness, with the available launch window extending into April.
Artemis 2 is a critical proving ground for future lunar landings, including Artemis 3. Its success would mark the true beginning of NASA's sustained crewed return to the moon.
SpaceX's Starship could be a big factor in space exploration for 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX hopes to make 2026 a breakout year for its Starship megarocket by flying the vehicle to Earth orbit for the first time and demonstrating in-orbit cryogenic propellant transfer, a critical capability for future deep-space missions, such as journeys to the moon and Mars. While company founder and CEO Elon Musk has suggested a Mars launch attempt in 2026 is possible, he has also acknowledged the odds are roughly "50–50," making orbital operations and refueling demonstrations the more likely near-term goals.
In parallel, SpaceX is working to achieve rapid reuse of both Starship elements — the Super Heavy booster and Ship upper stage. Even without an interplanetary launch, successfully reaching orbit, transferring propellant in space and quickly reusing hardware would represent a major technological leap — and could make 2026 a pivotal year in Starship's path toward enabling sustained human exploration beyond Earth.
3) Blue Origin's Mark 1 lunar lander demonstration
Illustration of Blue Origin's Mark 1 lander on the moon. (Image credit: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin plans to launch its Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander on a robotic demonstration mission to the moon in early 2026, with the spacecraft targeting a landing near Shackleton Crater at the moon's south pole.
Standing about 26 feet (8 meters) tall, the lander is designed to deliver heavy cargo to the lunar surface and will fly atop the company's New Glenn rocket. MK1 is the largest commercial lunar cargo lander ever built, capable of carrying significantly more payload than any of the vehicles sponsored by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Although uncrewed, the mission will test precision landing technologies and surface operations critical to future lunar infrastructure, marking Blue Origin's first attempt to reach the moon and a major step toward establishing commercial lunar logistics.
Ahead of launch, the company plans to conduct fully integrated ground tests to validate MK1's systems and confirm flight readiness. If all goes according to plan, the mission's payload will include NASA's SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies) instrument, which will image the lunar surface during and after descent to study how landing plumes interact with the moon's regolith.
4) Boeing's Starliner-1 mission to the International Space Station
A Boeing Starliner spacecraft approaches the International Space Station during a test flight. (Image credit: NASA)
Boeing's next Starliner flight, known as Starliner-1, is now planned as an uncrewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS), with launch targeted for no earlier than April 2026. The change follows issues encountered during Starliner's first crewed flight test in 2024, when thruster problems prevented the spacecraft from returning its astronauts to Earth as planned. (The duo, NASA's Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, eventually came home aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.)
Rather than carrying astronauts, Starliner-1 will focus on validating spacecraft upgrades, testing systems performance and delivering cargo to the orbiting lab as Boeing and NASA work toward full crew certification. NASA has since adjusted Boeing's Commercial Crew contract, emphasizing safety and additional testing before Starliner resumes astronaut flights. The mission remains a critical step toward establishing Starliner as a second operational U.S. crew vehicle alongside Crew Dragon. Successfully completing the flight would help restore long-term redundancy for ISS crew rotations and move Boeing closer to full certification under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
5) Haven-1 launches first commercial space station
Vast Space's Haven-1 space station, which is scheduled to launch in 2026. The company posted this photo to X on Oct. 10, 2025. (Image credit: Vast)
California-based startup Vast plans to launch Haven-1, the world's first privately developed stand-alone space station, no earlier than May 2026.
The single-module station is designed to host short-duration crewed missions of up to 30 days, supporting research experiments, commercial activities and technology demonstrations. Haven-1 will ride into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with astronauts traveling to and from the station in Crew Dragon capsules. If successful, the mission could herald a new era of commercial space stations, potentially replacing or supplementing the aging ISS in the coming decade.
6) China's Tianwen-2 reaches a 'quasi-moon' asteroid
China's Tianwen 2 asteroid sample-return mission launched on May 28, 2025 (Image credit: CASC)
China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft is expected to arrive at the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa in July 2026. The tiny object is often called a "quasi-moon" because its orbit around the sun closely tracks Earth's path.
Tianwen-2 will attempt to collect surface samples, which are planned to return to Earth in late 2027, providing rare material for scientists to study the early solar system. Some researchers speculate the asteroid could be a fragment of the moon, making the samples especially valuable, though this hypothesis has yet to be confirmed. After the sample return, Tianwen-2 will continue its journey toward a main-belt comet for future exploration.
7) Rocket Lab debuts its Neutron rocket
Illustration of Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket in space. (Image credit: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab plans the first launch of its Neutron rocket in mid-2026, marking a major expansion of the company beyond small-satellite launches. Standing roughly 131 feet (40 meters) tall, Neutron is designed to be partially reusable, with the first stage capable of landing vertically for rapid turnaround between flights.
Neutron is intended to deploy large satellite constellations, carry national security payloads and eventually support crewed missions, representing Rocket Lab's entry into the competitive heavy-lift launch market. The rocket's debut has been delayed several times from its original 2024-2025 target as Rocket Lab refined the design and conducted additional testing to ensure reliability. Its upcoming launch will also demonstrate the company's innovative payload fairing, nicknamed the "Hungry Hippo," which opens and closes in orbit to facilitate payload deployment and recovery, underscoring Rocket Lab's ambitions to compete with SpaceX and other major providers.
8) China launches the Chang'e 7 mission to the lunar south pole
China's Yutu 2 lunar rover, as seen by the Chang'e 4 lander, on the far side of the moon. The 2026 Chang'e 7 mission will also feature a large rover, as well as a lander and a small hopper that will explore lunar craters (Image credit: CNSA/CLEP)
China's Chang'e 7 mission is scheduled to launch in mid- to late 2026, targeting the moon's south pole, a region believed to contain water ice in permanently shadowed craters. The mission features a combination of spacecraft: an orbiter to map the lunar surface, a lander and rover to explore and analyze resources on the ground and a small hopping probe capable of traversing challenging terrain that conventional rovers cannot reach.
Chang'e 7 will also deploy a relay satellite to ensure continuous communication with Earth and to support scientific observations in the polar region. The mission aims to locate and characterize potential water-ice deposits, assess terrain hazards and demonstrate technologies needed for future crewed lunar missions, representing a key step in China's long-term plan for a sustained presence on the moon.
9) ESA's Hera mission arrives at the Didymos asteroid system
Europe's Hera spacecraft accompanied by two cubesats will investigate the battered asteroid Dimorphos in detail in 2027 (Image credit: ESA-ScienceOffice.org)
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the binary asteroid system Didymos in November 2026 to investigate the aftermath of NASA's 2022 DART impact, which successfully altered the orbit of the moonlet Dimorphos.
Hera will conduct high-resolution mapping of the impact crater, measure the asteroid's mass and internal structure, and deploy two cubesats for close-up observations of surface properties and debris. By combining these data, scientists will gain critical insight into how kinetic impactors can change an asteroid's trajectory — a key capability for planetary defense against potential Earth-bound threats and validating deflection techniques demonstrated by the DART mission.
10) BepiColombo finally reaches Mercury
An artist's illustration of the two BepiColombo spacecraft at Mercury. The mission will send orbiters from Europe and Japan to the innermost planet. (Image credit: Spacecraft: ESA/ATG medialab; Mercury: NASA/JPL)
After an eight-year journey involving multiple gravity-assist flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury, ESA and JAXA's BepiColombo mission will enter orbit around Mercury in November 2026. Over the course of its long cruise, the spacecraft has returned valuable science data and close-up images while testing its instruments in the extreme environment near the sun.
Once BepiColombo reaches Mercury, the spacecraft will separate into two science orbiters: ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), which will study the planet's surface and interior, and JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), which will focus on Mercury's powerful and highly dynamic magnetic environment. Together, the orbiters will investigate Mercury's composition, geology, tenuous exosphere and magnetic field, helping scientists understand how the planet formed and evolved so close to the sun.
Operating just tens of millions of miles from the sun, BepiColombo must endure extreme temperatures and intense solar radiation, making it one of the most technically challenging planetary missions ever attempted — and one poised to deliver the most comprehensive view yet of the solar system's innermost world.
11) China launches the Xuntian space telescope
Artist's depiction of the China Space Station Telescope, also known as Xuntian. (Image credit: NAOC)
China's Xuntian space telescope, also known as the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST), is slated to launch in late 2026. The observatory houses a 2-meter-wide (6.6 feet) primary mirror, giving it light-gathering power comparable to — and in some survey modes surpassing — NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
Xuntian will operate as an ultraviolet-optical observatory in an orbit that allows it to periodically dock with the Tiangong space station for servicing, repairs and upgrades. With an expected minimum 10-year mission, Xuntian's wide-field survey instruments will map vast regions of the universe, supporting studies of cosmology, dark matter and galaxy evolution, with the potential for mission extensions beyond its initial lifespan.
12) Dream Chaser makes its first orbital flight
Sierra Space's first Dream Chaser space plane, named Tenacity, is seen inside a hangar. (Image credit: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space's Dream Chaser space plane is scheduled to make its first flight to orbit in late 2026, marking a major milestone for the reusable spacecraft after years of development and delays. The uncrewed mission will test Dream Chaser's ability to launch atop a conventional rocket, operate autonomously in orbit and return to Earth with a runway landing similar to a conventional aircraft.
Dream Chaser is designed to provide a gentler reentry than capsule-based spacecraft for delivering more delicate scientific experiments and time-sensitive cargo from space. The vehicle is intended to support future cargo resupply missions to the ISS, and, if all goes according to plan, Sierra Space ultimately plans to develop a crewed version capable of carrying astronauts.
13) NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a large piece of covered equipment, displays part of its sunshield, a rolled up piece of white fabric, in its cleanroom (Image credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts)
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is expected to launch in fall 2026, though the mission schedule allows for a margin extending into 2027. Roman will feature a field of view about 100 times larger than Hubble's, enabling massive surveys of galaxies and stars, and making it one of NASA's most powerful space observatories to date.
The space telescope's primary science goals include studying dark energy, mapping dark matter and discovering thousands of exoplanets via gravitational microlensing, in which a massive foreground object bends the light of a background star, temporarily magnifying it like a lens.
Recently, NASA completed the full assembly of Roman's major components — joining the spacecraft and telescope segments in its largest clean room at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland — a major milestone that sets the observatory up for final environmental testing and launch preparations this summer.
]]>
+ https://www.space.com/space-exploration/moon-landings-asteroid-missions-and-new-telescopes-here-are-the-top-spaceflight-moments-to-look-forward-to-in-2026
+
+
+
+ 58ehK9kj37ugzBZxCJWqqd
+
+ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 17:00:00 +0000Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:41:02 +0000
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ <![CDATA[ 15 skywatching events you won't want to miss in 2026 ]]>Skywatchers have plenty to look forward to in 2026, with a lineup of dazzling naked-eye events in the night sky throughout the year. From total solar and lunar eclipses and brilliant planetary conjunctions to iconic meteor showers peaking under moonless night skies and a festive supermoon, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Here are 15 must-see skywatching events to mark on your calendar for 2026.
1. Jupiter at opposition: Jan. 10, 2026 (all night)
Jupiter will reach opposition on Jan. 10, 2026. (Image credit: Alan Dyer/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images)
Jupiter will dominate the night sky in early 2026. In early January, the gas giant will align with Earth and the sun to reach its full phase, called opposition. This happens once every 13 months, and it's the best time to observe the giant planet. That's partly because it's the brightest it will be all year but also because it rises in the eastern sky at sunset and sinks in the west at sunrise.
2. "Blood moon" total lunar eclipse: March 2-3, 2026 (night to early morning)
See a total lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026. (Image credit: Westend61/Getty Images)
During the first and only total lunar eclipse of 2026, March's full Worm Moon will pass through Earth's shadow, making it appear as a reddish-orange "blood moon" for 58 minutes. The March 2026 total lunar eclipse will be visible across western North America, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia and the Pacific. It will be the last total lunar eclipse until a rather special one on New Year's Eve 2028-2029. In North America, totality will occur on the night of March 2 or early morning hours of March 3, depending on the time zone.
3. Close conjunction of the moon, the Pleiades and Venus: April 19, 2026 (after sunset)
See the moon, the Pleiades and Venus together in April. (Image credit: Stellarium)
4. Eta Aquarid meteor shower: May 5-6, 2026 (before midnight)
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is caused by Halley's Comet. (Image credit: Diana Robinson Photography/Getty Images)
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower produces up to 50 meteors per hour, making it one of the most prolific meteor showers of the year and the clear highlight of spring's "shooting star" season. The last-quarter moon rising around midnight makes early evening the best time to see the Eta Aquarids (also spelled Eta Aquariids), which are caused by the debris from Halley's Comet left in the inner solar system, although the best views will be from the Southern Hemisphere.
5. Conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury: June 9, 2026 (after sunset)
Jupiter and Venus will be seen close together on June 9, 2026. (Image credit: Stellarium)
The two brightest planets in the solar system, Venus and Jupiter, will shine together for a few evenings, getting as close as 1.5 degrees — about the width of a finger held at arm's length against the sky. The duo will be visible in the western sky just after sunset, with the best view on June 9. As a bonus, Mercury will make a rare appearance below the two bright planets.
6. Total solar eclipse: Aug. 12, 2026 (daytime)
See mainland Europe's first total solar eclipse since 1999. (Image credit: Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images)
The celestial highlight of the year will be the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, which will be seen from eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain. As the first total solar eclipse in mainland Europe since 1999, it is bound to be busy, especially because it falls during the European holiday season. Iceland has not seen a total solar eclipse since 1954, and Spain has not since 1906. (Spain will also see one in 2027.) The Mediterranean will be busy with cruise ships for a close-to-sunset totality, but maximum totality will occur for 2 minutes, 18 seconds off the coast of Iceland. A partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Europe, northwestern Africa, Canada, Alaska and the northeastern U.S.
2026 is a good year for the Perseid meteor shower. (Image credit: Haitong Yu/Getty Images)
The Perseid meteor shower was pretty much a washout in 2025, with the peak night blighted by moonlight. Happily, the Northern Hemisphere's favorite display of "shooting stars" will fare much better in 2026. In fact, the peak night, Aug. 12-13, will occur just hours after a total solar eclipse, which, by definition, can happen only during a new moon. Eclipse chasers in Spain, in particular, could see two of astronomy's most spectacular events on the same day. About 60 to 120 Perseid meteors are expected to radiate from the constellation Perseus, but they may appear anywhere in the night sky from late night to predawn.
8. Venus as the "evening star": Aug. 15, 2026 (after sunset)
Venus will dominate evening skies in summer 2026. (Image credit: Alan Dyer/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images)
Because it's an inner planet as seen from Earth, Venus alternates between being visible before sunrise and after sunset. In 2026, it will appear as the "evening star," reaching its farthest distance from the sunset in August. After that, Venus will gradually sink in the sky; it will become half-lit by the sun in August, before reaching its brightest in late September, when it will be low on the horizon.
9. Partial lunar eclipse: Aug. 27-28, 2026 (night)
See a deep partial eclipse of the moon in August 2026. This photograph shows a stunning lunar eclipse over Bogota, Colombia on Nov. 19, 2021. (Image credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)
It won't quite be a "blood moon," but the August 2026 lunar eclipse is as close as it comes. It will be a very deep partial lunar eclipse, with over 96% of the moon entering Earth's shadow, although it will not become total. For observers on Earth's night side in North America, South America, parts of Europe and Africa, the chief sight will be the edge of Earth's shadow creeping across the lunar surface, and perhaps a hint of red as totality is approached but then snatched away.
10. Saturn at opposition: Oct. 4, 2026 (night)
Saturn will peak in brightness in late 2026. Here is an image of Saturn and several of its moons, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam instrument on June 25, 2023. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Matthew Tiscareno (SETI Institute), Matthew Hedman (University of Idaho), Maryame El Moutamid (Cornell University), Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Heidi Hammel (AURA); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)))
Earth passes between Saturn and the sun once each year. At that time, the ringed planet is closer, and thus bigger and brighter, from our point of view. In 2026, that will happen in October. Look for Saturn's golden glow in the east after dark from August onward, with notable conjunctions with the moon on Sept. 27, Oct. 24, Nov. 20 and Dec. 18.
11. Close conjunction of the moon and Mars: Oct. 5, 2026 (before sunrise)
See the moon and Mars in a close conjunction in October. (Image credit: Stellarium)
Just one day after Saturn peaks in brightness, Mars and a 32%-illuminated waning crescent moon will meet in the early-morning sky, with only about 1 degree between them. Just beneath the pair will be the beautiful Beehive Cluster (Messier 44) and Jupiter.
12. Conjunction of Jupiter and Mars: Nov. 14-15, 2026 (before sunrise on Nov. 15)
See Jupiter and Mars in a close conjunction in November. (Image credit: Stellarium)
There will be plenty of opportunities to see the planets together in 2026, but this close conjunction of the fourth and fifth planets from the sun is likely to be the highlight. Mars and Jupiter will appear closest — just 1 degree apart — in the predawn sky on Nov. 15, though, to the naked eye, they'll appear very close for a few evenings before and after that. Venus and Mercury will also be on display, with the former in shining close with bright star Spica.
13. Christmas supermoon: Dec. 24, 2026 (dusk)
A very bright full moon will grace the skies on Dec. 23, 2026. (Image credit: traumlichtfabrik/Getty Images)
November 2025 may have seen the biggest full moon since 2019, but in December 2026, our natural satellite will go one step further by getting closer to Earth than at any point since 2018. The moon's orbit is elliptical, so some full moons appear bigger and brighter from Earth. These are known as supermoons, and there will be three of them in 2026 — on Jan. 3, Nov. 24 and Dec. 23. Catch them at moonrise for the full "moon illusion" effect.
14. Leonid meteor shower: Nov. 17-18, 2026 (night)
The Leonids will peak on Nov. 17-18, 2026. (Image credit: Marc Guitard/Getty Images)
2026 should be a good year for the Leonid meteor shower, a display of particularly fast-moving "shooting stars" from Comet Tempel-Tuttle. This year, the peak coincides with a near-first-quarter moon, which means dark, moonless skies after midnight — exactly when about 15 meteors per hour are expected. The Leonids tend to storm roughly every 33 years, with the next possibility around 2032 to 2033.
The Geminids will peak in moonless night skies in December 2026. (Image credit: Nick Fitzhardinge/Getty Images)
We obsess over the Perseids in August, but it's December's Geminids that bring the most "shooting stars," albeit in much colder temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. Expect up to 120 bright and colorful meteors per hour under optimum conditions during the peak of the Geminid meteor shower. The cause of this annual event is a mysterious asteroid called 3200 Phaethon.
]]>
@@ -873,80 +948,5 @@
-
- <![CDATA[ See the moon shine with Saturn in the southern sky after sunset Dec. 26 ]]>
- Look to the southern sky after dark on Dec. 26 to spot the waxing crescent moon shining near the gas giant Saturn among the stars of the constellation Pisces.
The 48%-lit moon will appear roughly halfway up the southern sky in the hours following sunset. Saturn will show up as a brilliant star less than four degrees to the lower left of the lunar disk. For scale, your three middle fingers held at arm's length span about five degrees of sky.
A pair of 10x50 binoculars should easily fit both Saturn and the moon within the same field of view, while revealing an assortment of fascinating surface features on Earth's natural satellite, which will appear almost half-lit just one day shy of its first quarter phase on Dec. 27.
See the moon with Saturn on Dec. 26. (Image credit: Starry Night)
Celestron NexStar 8SE
(Image credit: Amazon)
If you're looking to gaze at the planets, we reckon the Celestron NexStar 8SE is the best motorized telescope out there as it's great for astrophotography, deep-space observing and it offers stunning detailed imagery. It is a little pricey but for what you get, it's good value. For a more detailed look, you can check out our Celestron NexStar 8SE review.
Look to the upper region of the lunar crescent to find the menacing form of the Aristotles crater with its eastern rim bathed in impenetrable shadow. The Eudoxus crater is visible just beneath and beyond the dark expanses of Mare Serenitatis (the Sea of Serenity) and Mare Tranquilitatis (the Sea of Tranquility), which served as the landing site of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing.
The moon pictured shortly before its first quarter phase. (Image credit: Photo by Rick Kern via Getty Images, annotated by Anthony Wood in Canva)
A telescope with a 6-inch (152 millimeter) aperture will begin to reveal the razor-thin profile of Saturn's rings, as they rest oriented edge-on to Earth following the gas giant's ring plane crossing in March. Astronomy filters can also aid in revealing details in Saturn's upper atmosphere, which appears divided into distinct multi-colored cloud bands that circle the gas giant at 1,600 feet (500 meters) per second.
Want to get a closer look at the diverse menagerie of worlds populating our solar system? Then be sure to browse our picks of the best telescopes for exploring the night sky, along with our guides to picking the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography, if you want to immortalize your stargazing sessions.
Editor's Note: If you capture an image of the moon with Saturn and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
]]>
- https://www.space.com/stargazing/see-the-moon-shine-with-saturn-in-the-southern-sky-after-sunset-dec-26
-
-
-
- uBrvdJh8q9tHKVs3PwsLr
-
- Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000Fri, 26 Dec 2025 17:25:09 +0000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- <![CDATA[ The most exciting exoplanet discoveries of 2025 ]]>
- This year, the number of NASA-tracked confirmed worlds discovered beyond our solar system surpassed 6,000, and several thousand more await confirmation.
The milestone, reached just three decades after the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the first planet orbiting a sunlike star in 1995, is largely the result of the planet-hunting power of NASA's Kepler space telescope and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
The growing tally reflects how dramatically humanity's view of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, has expanded — and how diverse its planetary population has turned out to be.
Far from mirroring the relatively flat, orderly architecture of our own solar system, new observations and more detailed reexaminations of familiar worlds revealed entire classes of planets with no counterparts at home — super-Earths, mini-Neptunes and hot Jupiters — as well as worlds on contorted orbits that are forcing astronomers to rethink how planets form and evolve.
As the year comes to a close, here's a look back at some of the most intriguing, puzzling and rule-breaking exoplanets astronomers studied in 2025. These worlds illustrate both how far exoplanet science has come and how much there still is to learn.
"Tatooine" worlds
More "Tatooine-like" worlds leapt from science fiction into the exoplanet database this year, as astronomers identified multiple planets orbiting two suns — sometimes in configurations that challenge the basic rules of planetary formation.
Located about 120 light-years from Earth, the world orbits above and below the poles of its two stars, rather than along the usual flat plane. The discovery team inferred the planet's presence using the Very Large Telescope in Chile, after detecting an unusual backward wobble in the brown dwarfs' orbits. This was a gravitational clue that the researchers said could be explained only by a hidden, steeply inclined planet that was possibly knocked into place by a stellar flyby long ago.
Later in the year, a different team discovered three Earth-size planets orbiting the compact binary system TOI-2267, just 73 light-years from Earth. Using data from TESS, the team found that all three worlds transit both stars, even though such tightly bound stellar pairs are thought to be gravitationally unstable environments for planet formation.
Adding to the haul, two independent teams identified HD 143811 (AB) b, a massive planet that had been hidden in archival data for years. Captured by the Gemini Planet Imager on the Gemini South telescope in Chile, the world orbits a young twin-star system about 446 light-years from Earth. Though it's roughly six times the size of Jupiter, the planet is only 13 million years old and still glows with heat left over from its formation.
The alien world's host stars whirl around each other every 18 days, while the planet itself traces a slow, 300-year orbit around both. The contrast of a fast-dancing binary and a distant, lumbering giant poses a lingering mystery of how such a massive planet formed and survived in such a dynamically complex system.
The search for life on K2-18b
This artist's impression shows the planet K2-18b, its host star and an accompanying planet in its system. (Image credit: ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser)
The exoplanet K2-18b arguably became one of 2025's loudest exoplanet flash points after renewed claims of possible life swiftly ignited scientific debate.
The world made headlines in April when a University of Cambridge-led team announced what it called its strongest evidence yet for potential biosignature gases in the planet's atmosphere. Using new transit spectra from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the researchers argued that the data were consistent with dimethyl sulfide, and possibly dimethyl disulfide — gases that on Earth are strongly associated with marine biology. The findings, the team argued, bolstered the case that the planet could support life on an ocean-covered world they described as potentially "teeming with life."
The debate also drew attention to the limits of JWST, which was conceived before the discovery of exoplanets and is now being pushed to the edge of its capabilities to study one.
Still, researchers emphasize that K2-18b remains a high-value target for understanding sub-Neptunes, a class of planets absent from our solar system. Additional JWST transits already in hand may yet clarify what, if anything, the planet's atmosphere is truly revealing.
"If the ultimate result of this story is that the public is more circumspect about future claims of life detection, that's not a terrible thing," Eddie Schwieterman, an assistant professor of astrobiology at the University of California, Riverside, who was not involved with the research, told Space.com.
Dashed hopes for TRAPPIST-1e's habitability
An illustration of the TRAPPIST system. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
New analyses of TRAPPIST-1e, one of seven Earth-size planets orbiting a cool red dwarf star about 40 light-years from Earth, suggest the planet may lack a substantial atmosphere, complicating hopes that it could support life-friendly liquid water.
Earlier JWST observations hinted at methane in the planet's atmosphere, raising the possibility of complex chemistry or even biological activity. Follow-up studies, however, indicated those signals were likely contaminated by the star itself.
Computer simulations showed that any methane on TRAPPIST-1e would be rapidly destroyed by intense ultraviolet radiation, surviving only about 200,000 years — not nearly long enough for geological processes to replenish it.
Variations in the signal from transit to transit further suggest that if an atmosphere exists at all, it remains extremely difficult to detect — a reminder that even the most promising worlds can defy easy answers.
A clearer look at Proxima Centauri
Artistic impression of the Proxima Centauri system, with the planets Proxima b and Proxima d, the latter confirmed by NIRPS. (Image credit: Gabriel Pérez Díaz (IAC))
In 2025, astronomers sharpened their view of the planetary system around Proxima Centauri — the sun's closest stellar neighbor, which lies just 4.2 light-years away — thanks to a powerful new instrument designed to hunt worlds around small, cool stars.
The Near-Infrared Planet Searcher (NIRPS), a new high-resolution spectrograph installed at La Silla Observatory in Chile, delivered its first science results in July.
A team led by Alejandro Mascareño of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands in Spain confirmed the presence of Proxima b, an Earth-size planet known to orbit within the star's habitable zone, thereby validating the instrument's capabilities.
NIRPS also confirmed a smaller planet, Proxima d, and helped rule out a previously claimed third world, thus refining the census of the nearest planetary system.
The results also marked a technical milestone. For the first time, astronomers reached the precision needed to detect the faint gravitational pull of small, rocky planets around red dwarf stars, which emit most of their light at infrared wavelengths — making instruments like NIRPS valuable in the search for Earth-like planets beyond our solar system.
The tails of disintegrating worlds
An illustration of a disintegrating planet orbiting a giant star. (Image credit: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT)
This year, astronomers discovered rare exoplanets that orbit so close to their stars that they have long tails of material. These worlds are caught in a fleeting moment, in cosmic terms, before they disintegrate.
One such world, BD+05 4868 Ab, was spotted by TESS about 140 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Pegasus. The planet completes a full orbit every 30.5 hours, circling its star at a distance roughly 20 times closer than Mercury orbits the sun. At such proximity, intense stellar heat vaporizes material from the planet's surface, which then streams into space, forming a blazing, comet-like tail. That tail is enormous, stretching up to 5.6 million miles (9 million kilometers), or about half the planet's orbit.
The discovery team estimates that the planet sheds the equivalent of a Mount Everest's worth of material every orbit and could completely disintegrate within 1 million to 2 million years. The dust in the tail may contain material from the planet's crust, its mantle or even its core, which would give scientists a rare opportunity to study the internal composition of a distant world — something normally far beyond observational reach.
Another team used JWST to study a very different kind of planetary tail around the ultrahot Jupiter WASP-121b, also known as Tylos, located about 858 light-years from Earth. Instead of shedding rock, the planet is losing its atmosphere. JWST revealed two enormous helium tails spanning nearly 60% of the planet's orbit — one trailing behind, pushed back by stellar radiation and wind, and a second, rarer leading tail curved ahead of the planet, likely drawn inward by the star's gravity.
A lava world that refuses to go bare
Artist’s rendition of TOI-561, one of the oldest, most metal-poor planetary systems discovered yet in the Milky Way galaxy. (Image credit: W. M. Keck Observatory/Adam Makarenko)
Astronomers using JWST found an atmosphere clinging to a planet that, by all conventional rules, should be completely airless.
The world, TOI-561b, is a small, scorching lava planet that orbits one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way so closely that its year lasts less than a single Earth day.
Tidally locked, with one side permanently facing its star, the planet reaches surface temperatures of more than 3,140 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1,726 degrees Celsius) — hot enough to melt rock — and is old enough that any primordial atmosphere should have escaped long ago.
Yet JWST observations suggest the planet's dayside is cooler than expected for a bare, airless rock, pointing to the presence of a substantial atmosphere that may have persisted for billions of years and is redistributing heat around the planet.
If confirmed, the finding would mark the strongest evidence yet for a long-lived atmosphere on a hot, rocky world that is neither massive nor temperate, challenging assumptions about the extreme conditions in which planetary atmospheres can survive.
The birth and death of an alien world
The baby exoplanet WISPIT 2b appears as a small purple dot beside a bright white dust ring encircling its star, with a fainter outer ring visible beyond it in new observations from the Magellan and Large Binocular Telescopes. (Image credit: Laird Close, University of Arizona)
This year, astronomers observed two cosmic moments that bookend the life of a planet.
In one study, astronomers captured a never-before-seen view of a planet forming about 437 light-years from Earth.
The observations, taken with the Magellan Telescopes in Chile and the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona, show the alien world as a faint, purple dot embedded within a ring-shaped gap in a dusty disk around its star. The forming world, WISPIT 2b, is just 5 million years old, yet it is already about five times as massive as Jupiter, and it's sitting within a clearing in the disk as it gathers dust and gas to grow.
Astronomers have long suspected that such gaps mark the presence of newborn planets, but this is the first time one has been directly observed actively carving out its orbit. The team also identified a second candidate planet closer to the star, hinting that this system may be building multiple worlds at once.
Closer to Earth, another team captured a glimpse of a dead star's remains. Observations of the white dwarf LSPM J0207+3331, the dense remnant of a long-gone massive star about 145 light-years from Earth, reveal the ongoing destruction of a planetary relic — possibly a body roughly 120 miles (193 km) wide — being torn apart by the star's intense gravity.
Using telescopes in Chile and Hawaii, astronomers detected heavy elements recently deposited on the white dwarf's surface, which they say is evidence that the debris was accreted within the past 35,000 years and may still be falling in today.
The findings suggest that gravitational forces that shift as the star decays can destabilize surviving planets and smaller bodies such as asteroids, thereby triggering collisions and sending fragments spiraling inward to their destruction.
]]>
- https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/the-most-exciting-exoplanet-discoveries-of-2025
-
-
-
- 5ZakBHor2CXYJk3MT5MJZY
-
- Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000Fri, 26 Dec 2025 15:28:53 +0000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- <![CDATA[ What should I look at with my new telescope? ]]>
- If you’ve just unboxed a telescope for Christmas 2025, you’re in luck. Not only is a waxing crescent moon in the evening sky in the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, but Jupiter is riding high — looking like a “Christmas Star” — and some of the best deep-sky objects are at their best. There’s even a full moon coming — the Wolf Supermoon — in the first week of 2026.
The trick with a new telescope is not to chase everything at once; the best gift you can give yourself when starting in astronomy is patience. Your first nights should be about getting comfortable: setting up, choosing the right magnification and aiming at bright, forgiving targets rather than hunting for “faint fuzzies” in a night sky you cannot yet navigate.
If you haven't purchased your telescope yet, our experts have tested and rated the best telescopes you can buy, even if you're looking for a telescope for beginners.
Setting up for the first time
Before you think about what to look at, make sure your telescope is ready to use while it’s still light outside. Use the instructions in the box to assemble it, taking your time to get it right. Take it outside and level the tripod, tighten all the clamps, familiarize yourself with what the various knobs and levers do, and which direction they move, and — perhaps most importantly — get your finder aligned by using a distant object, such as a tree. Once what you see in the finder and eyepiece are identical, you’re ready to use it for astronomy. Setting up in daylight also gives the telescope time to cool down before night arrives; a cold telescope will give you sharper views.
Finding the moon
A crescent moon makes an ideal first target. (Image credit: Getty Images)
The first thing most new telescope owners want to do is to get a close-up of the moon. Luckily, the last week of December 2025 is the sweet spot for observing the moon in the evening, helping you learn your way around a telescope. The moon is waxing from a thick crescent in the southwest on Christmas Day through to first quarter on Dec. 27, when it’s half-lit and visible in the south after dark. It will be easy to find as soon as it gets dark — about 30 minutes after sunset — so it's perfect for practising pointing and focusing on the moon's bright limb.
Most beginner telescopes come with two eyepieces — 10mm and 25mm. Start with the low-power 25mm eyepiece, whose low magnification and wide field of view are handy for locating objects. If you have a red dot finder, point it at the moon, and a bright light will appear in the eyepiece. Adjust the focus until it becomes sharp. Concentrate your gaze on the terminator, the dividing line between light and dark on the moon, and you’ll see shadowed craters and mountains. Now is the time to switch to the medium-power 10mm eyepiece.
Try to get your telescope on the moon before it reaches first quarter phase, after which the shadows get shorter. Full moon is not the best time to point a telescope at the moon because the light is flat and so bright, but it can be fun during a moonrise.
Navigating the night sky
The winter night sky is packed with iconic constellations and deep-sky objects. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Patterns of stars that make up constellations are irrelevant to a telescope because it sees straight through them, right? Not so. Using a telescope properly is only possible once you know the basic geography of the night sky — so think of constellations as regions, counties or states, within which are objects of interest such as star clusters, galaxies and nebulae.
In late December and January evenings from the Northern Hemisphere, constellations including Orion, Taurus, Auriga and Gemini dominate the southeast sky. In late 2025 and early 2026, Jupiter is shining brightly within this region, too. Together, they form a ready-made roadmap for a new telescope owner to navigate. With the naked eye, find Orion’s Belt, trace up to bright Capella in Auriga and over to the Pleiades open cluster (M45) in Taurus.
From the Southern Hemisphere, Orion appears the other way up and in the northeast, with Taurus nearby. Bright stars Sirius and Canopus blaze low in the south, with the Southern Cross rising beneath.
Once the major constellations become familiar, dropping a telescope on a cluster or nebula within becomes much easier.
Observing planets
Jupiter at opposition, as captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2017. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and M.H. Wong (UC Berkeley))
Can you tell the difference between a planet and a star? It’s easy — planets don’t twinkle because they are much larger disks rather than mere points of light. Planets are some of the most rewarding objects for a new telescope owner, and this season is all about Jupiter and Saturn. Through late December 2025 and into January 2026, the giant planet is blazing in the night sky; on Jan. 10, 2026, it reaches opposition, when Earth is directly between Jupiter and the sun. That’s when it’s closest, largest and brightest in our sky.
You don’t need to hit that exact date – a few weeks either side is fine. Step outside in the early evening, look east for the brightest “star” that doesn’t twinkle (clue: it’s close to the “twins” of Gemini, Castor and Pollux), center it in the finder, then put it in the 25mm eyepiece. Once you’ve got a clean, sharp disk, swap to the 10mm eyepiece. You may see one or two dark cloud bands and up to four tiny moons — Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io — lined up beside the planet. Since it’s close to opposition, Jupiter is “up” all night in January.
Saturn is the other planet on show, but you should try to catch it early in the evening. It’s lower and fainter than Jupiter, hanging in the southwestern sky shortly after sunset, but even a modest telescope will show its iconic ring pattern (currently edge-on). As with Jupiter, locate it using the red dot finder and the low-power eyepiece before swapping to high-power. With steady seeing (astro-speak for a lack of turbulence in Earth's atmosphere), you may spot Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, shining nearby.
Well-known targets in the Northern Hemisphere
The Orion Nebula is unmissable in December and January. (Image credit: Getty Images)
The winter night sky north of the equator has many classic sights ideal for first-time telescope users:
Orion Nebula (M42) in Orion
The Pleiades (M45) open cluster in Taurus
Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884) in Perseus
Beehive Cluster (M44) in Cancer
Crab Nebula (M1) in Taurus
Andromeda Galaxy (M31) in Andromeda
Well-known targets in the Southern Hemisphere
The Carina Nebula is at its best in December and January in the Southern Hemisphere. (Image credit: Getty Images)
If you’re under southern skies, the same December-January period has its own list of showpieces:
Orion Nebula (M42) in Orion
The Pleiades (M45) open cluster in Taurus
Carina Nebula (NGC 3372)
Southern Pleiades (IC 2602)
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Omega Centauri (NGC 5139)
Where to point your telescope at next
You’ve used your telescope for the first time. You’ve seen the moon up close (what a sight!) and how it changes phase, watched Jupiter at opposition and ticked off a handful of bright star clusters and spectacular nebulae. That’s an incredible way to begin, but don’t rush the next part. Spend time gradually building up your knowledge and experience, taking advantage of any clear nights — preferably the dark, moonless nights between the last quarter moon and the new moon. What begins as an overwhelming infinity of stars soon becomes a map — and with time, a landscape you know well — once you start observing it regularly through a telescope.
]]>
- https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/what-should-i-look-at-with-my-new-telescope
-
-
-
- XPpeAvoHT45acWo4NJHAg7
-
- Fri, 26 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:01:25 +0000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- <![CDATA[ From record warming to rusting rivers, 2025 Arctic Report Card shows a region transforming faster than expected ]]>
- This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
The Arctic is transforming faster and with more far-reaching consequences than scientists expected just 20 years ago, when the first Arctic Report Card assessed the state of Earth's far northern environment.
The snow season is dramatically shorter today, sea ice is thinning and melting earlier, and wildfire seasons are getting worse. Increasing ocean heat is reshaping ecosystems as non-Arctic marine species move northward. Thawing permafrost is releasing iron and other minerals into rivers, which degrades drinking water. And extreme storms fueled by warming seas are putting communities at risk.
The past water year, October 2024 through September 2025, brought the highest Arctic air temperatures since records began 125 years ago, including the warmest autumn ever measured and a winter and a summer that were among the warmest on record. Overall, the Arctic is warming more than twice as fast as the Earth as a whole.
For the 20th Arctic Report Card, we worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an international team of scientists and Indigenous partners from across the Arctic to track environmental changes in the North – from air and ocean temperatures to sea ice, snow, glaciers and ecosystems – and the impacts on communities.
Together, these vital signs reveal a striking and interconnected transformation underway that’s amplifying risks for people who live there.
A wetter Arctic with more extreme precipitation
Arctic warming is intensifying the region's water cycle.
A warmer atmosphere increases evaporation, precipitation and meltwater from snow and ice, adding and moving more water through the climate system. That leads to more extreme rainstorms and snowstorms, changing river flows and altering ecosystems.
Arctic surface air temperatures are warming much faster than the global average. (Image credit: NOAA and CIRES/University of Colorado Boulder.)
These wetter conditions are reshaping snow cover across the region.
Snow and ice losses accelerate warming, hazards
Snow blankets the Arctic throughout much of the year, but that snow cover isn’t lasting as long. In 2025, snowpack was above average in the cold winter months, yet rapid spring melting left the area covered by snow far smaller than normal by June, continuing a six-decade decline. June snow cover in recent years has been half of what it was in the 1960s.
Losing late spring snow cover means losing a bright, reflective surface that helps keep the Arctic cool, allowing the land instead to be directly warmed by the sun, which raises the temperature.
Since the 1980s, the summer sea ice extent has shrunk by about 50%, while the area covered by the oldest, thickest sea ice – ice that has existed for longer than four years – has declined by more than 95%.
The thinner sea ice cover is more influenced by winds and currents, and less resilient against warming waters. This means greater variability in sea ice conditions, causing new risks for people living and working in the Arctic.
Arctic sea ice concentration in September 2025, during its annual minimum extent at the end of summer, was much smaller than the 1979-2004 median extent. The shades of blue reflect the concentration of sea ice. (Image credit: NOAA and CIRES/University of Colorado Boulder.)
The Greenland Ice Sheet continued to lose mass in 2025, as it has every year since the late 1990s. As the ice sheet melts and calves more icebergs into the surrounding seas, it adds to global sea-level rise.
Mountain glaciers are also losing ice at an extraordinary rate – the annual rate of glacier ice loss across the Arctic has tripled since the 1990s.
This poses immediate local hazards. Glacial lake outburst floods – when water that is dammed up by a glacier is suddenly released – are becoming more frequent. In Juneau, Alaska, recent outburst floods from Mendenhall Glacier have inundated homes and displaced residents with record-setting levels of floodwater.
Glacier retreat can also contribute to catastrophic landslide impacts. Following the retreat of South Sawyer Glacier, a landslide in southeast Alaska's Tracy Arm in August 2025 generated a tsunami that swept across the narrow fjord and ran nearly 1,600 feet (nearly 490 meters) up the other side. Fortunately, the fjord was empty of the cruise ships that regularly visit.
Record-warm oceans drive storms, ecosystem shifts
Arctic Ocean surface waters are steadily warming, with August 2025 temperatures among the highest ever measured. In some Atlantic-sector regions, sea surface temperatures were as much as 13 degrees Fahrenheit (7.2 Celsius) above the 1991-2020 average. Some parts of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas were cooler than normal.
Arctic sea surface temperatures are much warmer today than in past decades, as this map and chart of August 2025 sea surface temperatures shows. (Image credit: NOAA and CIRES/University of Colorado Boulder.)
Warm water in the Bering Sea set the stage for one of the year's most devastating events: Ex-Typhoon Halong, which fed on unusually warm ocean temperatures before slamming into western Alaska with hurricane-force winds and catastrophic flooding. Some villages, including Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, were heavily damaged.
As seas warm, powerful Pacific cyclones, which draw energy from warm water, are reaching higher latitudes and maintaining strength longer. Alaska's Arctic has seen four ex-typhoons since 1970, and three of them arrived in the past four years.
Warming seas and declining sea ice are enabling southern, or boreal, marine species to move northward. In the northern Bering and Chukchi seas, Arctic species have declined sharply – by two-thirds and one-half, respectively – while the populations of boreal species expand.
On land, a similar "borealization" is underway. Satellite data shows that tundra vegetation productivity – known as tundra greenness – hit its third-highest level in the 26-year record in 2025, part of a trend driven by longer growing seasons and warmer temperatures. Yet greening is not universal – browning events caused by wildfires and extreme weather are also increasing.
As permafrost – the frozen ground that underlies much of the Arctic – continues its long-term warming and thaw, one emerging consequence is the spread of rusting rivers.
As thawing soils release iron and other minerals, more than 200 watersheds across Arctic Alaska now show orange discoloration. These waters exhibit higher acidity and elevated levels of toxic metals, which can contaminate fish habitat and drinking water and impact subsistence livelihoods.
In Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska, a tributary to the Akillik River lost all its juvenile Dolly Varden and slimy sculpin fish after an abrupt increase in stream acidity when the stream turned orange.
Arctic communities lead new monitoring efforts
The rapid pace of change underscores the need for strong Arctic monitoring systems. Yet many government-funded observing networks face funding shortfalls and other vulnerabilities.
At the same time, Indigenous communities are leading new efforts.
The Arctic Report Card details how the people of St. Paul Island, in the Bering Sea, have spent over 20 years building and operating their own observation system, drawing on research partnerships with outside scientists while retaining control over monitoring, data and sharing of results. The Indigenous Sentinels Network tracks environmental conditions ranging from mercury in traditional foods to coastal erosion and fish habitat and is building local climate resilience in one of the most rapidly changing environments on the planet.
The Arctic is facing threats from more than the changing climate; it's also a region where concerns of ecosystem health and pollutants come sharply into view. In this sense, the Arctic provides a vantage point for addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
The next 20 years will continue to reshape the Arctic, with changes felt by communities and economies across the planet.
]]>
- https://www.space.com/science/climate-change/from-record-warming-to-rusting-rivers-2025-arctic-report-card-shows-a-region-transforming-faster-than-expected
-
-
-
- m8VrbUXWrkubqqjL4uhdTh
-
- Thu, 25 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:06:14 +0000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
\ No newline at end of file
