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This image from space, captured by the ESA-Roscosmos Trace Gas Orbiter, shows NASA's Perseverance rover, its back shell, heat shield and descent stage in Jezero Crater on the surface of the Red Planet. Perseverance landed in this ancient lake bed (a site that includes an ancient river delta) successfully on Feb. 18. The Trace Gas Orbiter watching from space captured this moment using its CaSSIS camera a few days after landing on Feb. 23.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff

An image captured by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile shows Betelgeuse in December 2019, at right, early in what would become the dramatic dimming episode that culminated in February 2020.

Scientists still stuck on Betelgeuse antics a year after strange dimming episode

By Meghan Bartels

A year ago, the bright red star Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation hit the headlines for a stark fading episode that astronomers couldn't explain. They still can't, although they keep trying.

Astronauts Gordon Stevens (Steven Dorman) and Dani Poole (Krys Marshall) prepare for new space missions in the "For All Mankind" episode "Rules of Engagement" in season 2.

'For All Mankind' sneak peek: Astronaut handles zipper malfunction in 'Rules of Engagement'

By Elizabeth Howell

It's perhaps the best excuse ever for being late to an important astronaut meeting.

Zoomed-in version of Juno’s unprecedented photo of Jupiter’s ring system, with the outlines of the Orion constellation mapped out.

On This Day in Space! March 4, 1979: Rings discovered around Jupiter!

By Hanneke Weitering

On March 4, 1979, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft took the first photos of rings around Jupiter. See how it happened in our "On This Day In Space" series!

Richard Garriott

Astronaut-explorer Richard Garriott sets records on dive to deepest point on Earth

By Robert Z. Pearlman

An animation shows Apophis' 2029 path compared to the swarm of satellites orbiting Earth. The asteroid won't pass nearly as closely in 2021; it will remain 44 times more distant than the moon.

Large asteroid Apophis will safely fly by Earth on Friday

By Elizabeth Howell

Our solar system's most infamous asteroid will pass by Earth on Friday (March 5), and with a high-end telescope you can watch it as it safely whizzes by our planet.

Tech

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sky hub

Spotting UFOs: Do-it-yourself sky surveillance comes online

By Leonard David

If you are perplexed by reports of unidentified aerial phenomena and possible visitations of alien spacecraft, you can take action with do-it-yourself sky-monitoring gear.

A diagram showing Rocket Lab's planned Neutron rocket, a partially reusable medium-lift vehicle the company intends to launch for the first time in 2024.

A new rocket, Venus missions and more: Rocket Lab's Peter Beck is aiming big in space

By Mike Wall

Space.com caught up with Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck to talk about the company's newly announced Neutron rocket, other plans going forward — and how his hat tasted.

Spaceflight

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Zoomed-in version of Juno’s unprecedented photo of Jupiter’s ring system, with the outlines of the Orion constellation mapped out.

On This Day in Space! March 4, 1979: Rings discovered around Jupiter!

By Hanneke Weitering

On March 4, 1979, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft took the first photos of rings around Jupiter. See how it happened in our "On This Day In Space" series!

"Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX" by Eric Berger (William Morrow, 2021).

'Liftoff': Eric Berger's tale of the wild years of SpaceX's youth

By Elizabeth Howell

Science & Astronomy

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school of barracuda

Meet the swirlon, a new kind of matter that bends the laws of physics

By Stephanie Pappas

A new form of active matter known as swirlonic matter clumps together in quasi-particles that bend the laws of physics.

arecibo observatory

Cleanup of Arecibo Observatory's collapsed radio telescope seen from space

By Elizabeth Howell

The sad work of dismantling the remains of the Arecibo Observatory is underway.

Search For Life

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China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover is pictured at the "Mars yard," a simulated Red Planet testing ground at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, China.

Here's what we know about planetary protection on China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission

By Meghan Bartels

In anticipation of China's first Mars landing attempt, scientists are wondering whether the Tianwen-1 rover may carry Earthly contamination with it to the surface.

A portion of the panorama captured by the Mastcam-Z camera system aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. The full panorama consists of 142 images taken on Feb. 21, 2021.

Perseverance rover snaps gorgeous HD panorama of Mars landing site

By Mike Wall

Perseverance has captured a high-definition, 360-degree panorama of its surroundings on the floor of Mars' Jezero Crater, which harbored a lake and a river delta billions of years ago.

This high-resolution still image is part of a video taken by several cameras as NASA’s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. A camera aboard the descent stage captured this shot.

Wow! See the Perseverance rover dangling above Mars in this amazing landing photo

By Mike Wall

NASA just released an image showing its Perseverance Mars rover dangling about 6.5 feet (2 meters) above the red dirt during its picture-perfect touchdown inside Jezero Crater yesterday (Feb. 18).

Skywatching

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sky hub

Spotting UFOs: Do-it-yourself sky surveillance comes online

By Leonard David

If you are perplexed by reports of unidentified aerial phenomena and possible visitations of alien spacecraft, you can take action with do-it-yourself sky-monitoring gear.

The newfound comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) will make its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 12, 2021.

Newfound Comet Leonard will blaze into view this year

By Joe Rao

A new comet is on its way in toward the sun, with prospects that it may become bright enough to see with the unaided eye by year's end.

The fireball that streaked over southern England on Feb. 28, 2021, as seen by Ben L., who provided it to the American Meteor Society.

Brilliant yellow-green fireball lights up sky above England (video, photos)

By Mike Wall

A fireball blazed across the skies of southern England Sunday night (Feb. 28), and it likely dropped singed hunks of cosmic rock on the countryside below.

Entertainment

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Astronauts Gordon Stevens (Steven Dorman) and Dani Poole (Krys Marshall) prepare for new space missions in the "For All Mankind" episode "Rules of Engagement" in season 2.

'For All Mankind' sneak peek: Astronaut handles zipper malfunction in 'Rules of Engagement'

By Elizabeth Howell

It's perhaps the best excuse ever for being late to an important astronaut meeting.

"Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX" by Eric Berger (William Morrow, 2021).

'Liftoff': Eric Berger's tale of the wild years of SpaceX's youth

By Elizabeth Howell

Fridays at 1 p.m. EDT (17000 GMT), Space.com staff writer Chelsea Gohd will host the brand new series "Space Chat."

Space Chat with Space.com: Tune in Fridays for science, space and more!

By Chelsea Gohd

This Friday (Mar. 5), Space Chat will explore commercial space initiatives like Inspiration4, which aim to send commercial astronauts to space.