News

Latest News

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

Latest Comet 3I/ATLAS news: Closest approach to Earth this week

By Tariq Malik, Daisy Dobrijevic, Anthony Wood last updated

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025: Your daily feed for the holiday flyby of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS by Earth.

Comets
Promo image for Fallout Season 2

Best Fallout gifts to spend your caps on

By Alexander Cox published

We've rounded up the best Fallout gifts across the wasteland ahead of season two of the hit TV show, available to stream this month.

Space Movies & Shows
graphic showing comet 3I/ATLAS on a laptop screen against a background of stars

Watch interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS make its closest approach to Earth in free livestream on Dec. 18

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

The livestream will begin at 11 p.m. EST Dec. 18 (0400 GMT on Dec. 19), weather permitting.

Comets
a triple-core rocket blasts off under a sunny, partly cloudy blue sky. smoke expands below next to an obscured launch tower, near a long white hanger with SPACEX written on the side. To the left, a bird flies away.

Rocket launch today: Is there a rocket launch and what time?

By Josh Dinner, Tariq Malik last updated

Follow Space.com's rocket launch blog for the latest on when the next rocket launch will be and how to follow it live.

Launches & Spacecraft
A gray spacecraft is seen floating above the ocean on Earth

Crewed Russian spacecraft meets up with ISS | Space photo of the day for Dec. 17, 2025

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

The Soyuz launched on Nov. 27, 2025 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

International Space Station
Artist's concept of the two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft orbiting the moon. NASA launched the twin probes in September 2011 to study the moon's gravitational field in unprecedented detail.

On this day in space! Dec. 17, 2012: NASA's 2 GRAIL orbiters slam into the moon

By Hanneke Weitering, Elizabeth Howell last updated

On Dec. 17, 2012, NASA's GRAIL mission crashed into the moon.

The moon
A mockup of a private space shuttle with different compartments for key areas in the overall round structure

Experiments on a private space station: Vast asks scientists for research proposals

By Andrew Jones published

The California startup Vast has opened a call for scientific research aboard its Haven-1 private space station, which is set to launch atop a SpaceX rocket next year.

Human Spaceflight
Two photos with the one on the left of a man wearing a green long-sleeved shirt and the image on the right a pixelated picture of 3I/ATLAS as a ball of yellow light with green and blue light emanating from it outwards.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS wasn't supposed to be there — meet the astronomer who discovered it

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

Dr. Larry Denneau of the University of Hawaii is nothing like your typical astronomer.

Comets
graphic with night sky in large font and silhouettes of people below looking up at the night sky.

Night sky tonight: Catch the mighty hunter Orion shine in the southeast on Dec. 17

By Jamie Carter last updated

Find out what you can see in the night sky for tonight, from planets and stars to dazzling meteor showers.

Stargazing

Aurora forecast for Dec. 17 - Northern lights limited despite fast solar wind

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
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives