We’re getting closer and closer to finding a real Earth-like exoplanet. But finding one is only half the battle. To truly know if we’re looking at an Earth analog somewhere else in the galaxy, we have to directly image it too. That’s a job for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a planned space-based telescope whose primary job is to do precisely that. But even capturing a picture and a planet and getting spectral readings of its atmospheric chemistry still isn’t enough, according to a new paper available in pre-print on arXiv by Kaz Gary of Ohio State and their co-authors. HWO will need to figure out how much a planet weighs first.
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NASA is sending astronauts back to the moon. Can you see the Artemis 4 landing sites from Earth?
NASA's Artemis Program seeks to place American boots close to the moon's south pole.
How to watch the new 'lost' Doctor Who episodes from anywhere in the world
Love Doctor Who? Then you'll be over the moon that two previously lost episodes, The Nightmare Begins and Devil's Planet, have been recovered. Here's how to watch them wherever you are.
Do the Moon's Poles Hold Less Water Than We Thought?
New observations reveal that permanently shadowed regions at the lunar poles might contain less water ice than astronauts were hoping for.
Pulsars to the extreme: Spinning dead stars found blasting radio signals from the 'edge of their magnetic reach'
Astronomers have discovered that rapidly spinning extreme dead stars or pulsars push it to the edge, blasting out radio signals from their extremities.
NASA's Artemis 2 astronauts are cruising to the moon. So why are they doing CPR tests today?
After an action-packed first two days, Flight Day 3 may bring a more relaxed pace for the Artemis 2 moon astronauts.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 3 – 12
Arcturus, the Spring Star, is on its way up in the east. Vega, the Summer Star, rises later in the evening. Jupiter shines high toward the southwest.
Earth from Space: Eyes on our Moon
Image: In an unusual perspective for an Earth-observing satellite, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captures this image of Earth’s only natural satellite.
A pair of planet-forming discs
Image: A pair of planet-forming discs
DJI Avata 360 drone review
The DJI Avata 360 is DJI’s first 360-degree drone that can be flown like a camera or FPV (first-person view) drone using a motion controller and DJI FPV goggles.
Artemis 2 astronauts head for the moon after make-or-break engine burn (video)
Artemis 2's Orion capsule aced a critical engine burn this evening (April 2) that sent it from Earth orbit outward toward the moon.
The Artemis Generation Begins! Artemis II Launches for the Moon
At 06:25 p.m. EDT (03:25 p.m. PDT) on April 1st, the Artemis II mission lifted off from the historic Launch Pad-39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The four-person crew - consisting of Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), and mission specialists Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen - began the ten-day journey that would take them around the Moon and back to Earth. This mission is the first time astronauts will travel beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and will serve as a "dress rehearsal" for future missions to the lunar surface.
Lucky airplane passengers capture NASA's Artemis 2 moon launch from the sky
Some airplane passengers had the best seats in the house during NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket launch. Here are some of my favorite videos captured from the sky.
In honor of "Project Hail Mary"'s Rocky, we celebrate 17 sci-fi aliens who look nothing like humans
Because there's more to extra-terrestrial life than humans with prosthetics stuck to their foreheads.
Why Are Supermassive Black Holes Growing So Slowly?
As our powerful infrared telescopes allow astronomers to peer further and further back in time, they've discovered some puzzling things. One of them concerns supermassive black holes (SMBH), the physics-challenging behemoths at the center of large galaxies like the Milky Way. As it turns out, SMBH grew much more rapidly at high redshifts than they do in the contemporary Universe.
Watch comet C/2026 A1 plunge toward the sun online this week
Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) belongs to a rare group of sungrazing comets.
'The universe shall quake in my shadow' — 'Masters of the Universe' looks like the summer's most metal movie
Jared Leto's Skeletor slashes He-Man in rocking new 'MOTU' trailer.
'Supergirl' goes full John Wick to save her dog Krypto in new trailer
"There's no home without you, buddy."
Artemis 2 crew blasts off on historic moon mission
Photographers at the Press Site capture the launch of the Artemis 2 mission at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2026. Photo: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now.
A three-man one-woman crew blasted off on a voyage to the moon Wednesday, riding atop the world’s most powerful operational rocket as it roared away on a trail-blazing flight to help pave the way for upcoming lunar landings and an American moon base.
Stunning new James Webb Space Telescope images reveal 'hidden' stars being born
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have investigated the star-forming region W51, resulting in stunning new images.
