Solar System

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a photograph of a grey mottled surface on which a dark oval area is circled in white

SpaceX rocket's moon crash highlights 'a tangible operational risk' of lunar settlement

By Leonard David Published

A SpaceX rocket body slammed into the moon earlier this month, showcasing a risk that will increase as humanity establishes a footprint on Earth's nearest neighbor.

The moon
A green comet on a black backdrop with stars.

Green comet caught soaring over Namibia | Space photo of the day for Aug. 12, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

A shot so spectacular it will leave other astrophotographers green with envy.

Comets
a large rocky body slams into a reddish-orange orb, creating a cloud of dust, debris and fire

1-billion-year-old Mars meteorite found in Algeria is like nothing we've seen from the Red Planet

By Elizabeth Howell Published

Scientists found a Martian meteorite on Earth that is finally filling in a nearly 2-billion-year-old geology-history gap on the Red Planet.

Mars
Yellow and orange swirls show the sun in sharp detail.

Sharpest image of the sun ever captured! | Space photo of the day for Aug. 10, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

An international team of researchers using the U.S. National Science Foundation's Inouye Solar Telescope has captured the highest-resolution view of the sun's surface.

The Sun

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2026

By Tariq Malik, Daisy Dobrijevic Last updated

Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2026.

Reference
a hazy ring of gas surrounds a white rocky planet

Pluto's atmosphere is collapsing as it drifts away from the sun into a deep freeze

By Keith Cooper Published

As Pluto edges further away from the sun, the chilly temperatures are causing its atmosphere to condense onto its barren surface as frost.

Pluto
No dust, almost no small craters, no tipping problems.

SpaceX serious about building factories on the moon: 'It’s going to happen,' Elon Musk says

By Mike Wall Published

SpaceX plans to build factories on the moon, using robots to do much of the heavy lifting, Elon Musk said on Tuesday (Aug. 4) during SpaceX's first-ever quarterly earnings call.

The moon

NASA's SkyFall Mars helicopters will wear tiny capes

By Chelsea Gohd Published

These tiny capes carry some serious technology.

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Mars
a photograph of a grey mottled surface on which a dark oval area is circled in white

SpaceX rocket's impact crater on the moon spied by Korean lunar orbiter (photos)

By Mike Wall Published

South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter has spied the crater that a SpaceX rocket blasted out when it slammed into the moon on Wednesday morning (Aug. 5).

4 Comments
The moon
A rocket body impacted the moon on March 4, 2022 near Hertzsprung Crater, creating a double crater roughly 95 feet (29 meters) wide in the longest dimension, as seen in this photo taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Rocket-peppered moon: A brief history of impacts, from Luna 2 to SpaceX's upper stage

By Robert Z. Pearlman Published

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage that collided with the moon on Wednesday (Aug. 5), was just the latest in a line of energetic lunar touchdowns.

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The moon
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