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A white light of the comet 3I/ATLAS is surrounded by a blue glow against a black background

Why interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS' close Earth approach is an early Christmas gift for astronomers

By Darryl Seligman published

When 3I/ATLAS is closest to the Earth on Dec. 19, all the features that we are looking for will be easier to detect with our telescopes.

Comets

Aurora forecast for Dec. 15: Northern lights confined to high latitudes tonight

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

The latest aurora forecast for tonight help you make sure you're in the right place at the right time to see the northern lights.

Auroras
a white and black rocket lifts off into the darkness of night, its bright orange-tinted plume lighting up its launch pad.

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from Florida

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.

Launches & Spacecraft
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches the first 27 of Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellites to orbit on April 28, 2025.

Watch Atlas V rocket launch 27 of Amazon's internet satellites to orbit early Dec. 15

By Mike Wall published

Liftoff is scheduled for 3:49 a.m. ET on Monday (Dec. 15).

Launches & Spacecraft
NASA's Mariner 2 probe became the first successful mission to another planet when it flew by Venus on Dec. 14, 1962, as depicted in this postage stamp art from U.S. Postal Service.

On this day in space! Dec. 14, 1962: Mariner 2 spacecraft flies by Venus

By Hanneke Weitering, Elizabeth Howell last updated

On Dec. 14, 1962, NASA's Mariner 2 spacecraft flew by Venus.

Launches & Spacecraft

'The Expanse' at 10: the outer space drama that should have been as big as 'Game of Thrones'

By Richard Edwards published

It's one of the 21st century's best sci-fi shows. If only "The Expanse" had found the audience it deserved.

Space Movies & Shows
A series of white streaks of meteor showers are seen in a pale blue night sky over some mountain peaks at the bottom of the image

December's overlooked meteor shower peaks next week — will the Ursids surprise us?

By Joe Rao published

December's faint Ursid meteor shower returns under dark skies, offering a small chance of unexpected activity.

Meteors & Meteor Showers
An illustration showing a data center in space with various white modules of servers

Data centers in space: Will 2027 really be the year AI goes to orbit?

By Domenico Vicinanza published

Assuming Google does manage to launch a prototype in 2027, will it simply be a high-stakes technical experiment – or the dawning of a new era?

Technology
A poster for the documentary "Fiddler on the Moon" where an astronaut wearing a full suit looks at the camera and two candles are reflected in their face shield.

'Fiddler on the Moon' documentary explores how Judaism might adapt as humanity reaches out into space

By Josh Dinner published

'No matter what your traditions are, someone is going to break them.'

Space Exploration
a camera mounted on the side of a rocket captures the plume from the booster's nine engines as they near cutoff and separation.

Falcon 9 rocket launches Starlink satellites before making 550th SpaceX landing (video)

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 27 Starlink satellites lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. The first stage then made the company's 550th landing.

Launches & Spacecraft
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