Skywatching

The night side of Earth is photographed from the ISS with its curved edge wreathed in colorful aurora. Solar panels and parts of the spacecraft and space station are also visible.
Astronaut captures mesmerizing auroras with iPhone from ISS | Space photo of the day for Oct. 13, 2026

By Anthony Wood Published

Auroras paint the International Space Station purple in new iPhone photo from orbit.

Astrophotography
A large bright streak of light across the star-studded background with the aurora borealis shining below as a ribbon of green light.
Taurid meteor shower 2026 — When, where and how to see the 'Halloween fireballs'

By Daisy Dobrijevic Last updated

Reference The Northern and Southern Taurid meteor showers bring slow-moving shooting stars and occasional brilliant fireballs to the night sky. Here's when and how to see them in 2026.

Reference
Telescopes, drones, binoculars, star projectors and more surround the space.com logo on a colorful sky background.
The best Black Friday deals 2026: telescopes, binoculars, cameras, Lego, streaming, drones and more

By Jase Parnell-Brookes Last updated

Deals We've scoured the net for the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on space-related gear, from telescopes to cameras and more.

Deals
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Spaceflight

Varda's W-8 and W-9 vehicles launched together on SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission on Oct. 1, 2026, marking the first time that two commercial reentry vehicles were sent to orbit at the same time.
2 spacecraft in orbit and 8 more coming soon: Varda has big plans for in-space manufacturing

By Elizabeth Howell Published

Reentry provider Varda Space Industries is currently flying two spacecraft in Earth orbit and has eight more missions planned in the next year.

Launches & Spacecraft
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie looking down at one of 10 sample tubes deposited at the sample depot it created in an area nicknamed Three Forks. This image was taken by the WATSON camera on the rover’s robotic arm on Jan. 20, 2023, the 684th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover breaks interplanetary driving record — and it's far from done

By Chelsea Gohd Published

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has broken the record for the farthest distance driven on a world beyond Earth, passing its smaller cousin Opportunity.

Mars Rovers
On Oct. 12, 1964, the Soviet Union launched the first multiperson mission, Voskhod 1, which launched three Russian cosmonauts into space. The crew included Vladimir Komarov (commander), Konstantin Feoktistov (engineer) and Boris Yegorov (doctor), shown at right.
On this day in space! Oct. 12, 1964: The Soviet Union launches Voskhod 1, the 1st multi-person cosmonaut crew, into space

By Hanneke Weitering Published

On Oct. 12, 1964, the Soviet Union launched Voskhod 1, a 24-hour crewed mission that achieved several "firsts" for human spaceflight. Here's why it mattered.

Space Exploration
a white and black rocket lifts off into a blue sky leaving behind a plume spread across its launch site
On this day in space! Oct. 11, 1968: Apollo 7 launches into space, NASA's 1st Apollo astronaut crew in orbit

By Hanneke Weitering Published

On. Oct. 11, 1968, Apollo 7 launched into space with NASA astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham. Here's why it mattered.

Space Exploration
a group of men in suits sign a document at a wooden table in front of the american flag
On this day in space! Oct. 10, 1967: The Outer Space Treaty is ratified to lay out how countries can use outer space

By Hanneke Weitering Published

On Oct. 10, 1967, the international Outer Space Treaty on how countries can use outer space ratified. Here's why it mattered.

Space Exploration
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Science & Astronomy

A NASA graphic showcasing the phases of the moon.
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
Namibia's largest salt pan, from space
Namibian salt flats look like an alien planet | Space photo of the day for Oct. 12, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

The Etosha Pan in northern Namibia, the largest salt flat in the country, looks otherworldly in this satellite photo.

Earth
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Space Photo of the Day

Namibia's largest salt pan, from space
Namibian salt flats look like an alien planet | Space photo of the day for Oct. 12, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

The Etosha Pan in northern Namibia, the largest salt flat in the country, looks otherworldly in this satellite photo.

Earth
The Milky Way over the La Silla Observatory.
The Milky Way glows over telescopes in the Atacama Desert | Space photo of the day for Oct. 9, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

Dark clouds swirl across a star-speckled sky as the Milky Way stretches above La Silla Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert.

Astrophotography
Images of Mars captured by the Curiosity rover.
Dawn breaks on Mars | Space photo of the day for Oct. 8, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd Published

NASA's Curiosity rover recently captured a stunning panorama of a Martian mountain range bathed in golden early-morning light.

Mars
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Entertainment

Animated characters stand in a line. From left, a blue and pink man wearing a cape floats next to a young black girl, young white boy, and an astronaut with long hair, holding her space helmet.
'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli launches into the Marvel Universe this week on Disney Jr.'s 'Iron Man' series (exclusive)

By Josh Dinner Published

Real-life astronaut and science communicator Emily Calandrelli will make a guest appearance in the upcoming episode of Disney Jr.'s animated "Marvel's Iron Man and his Awesome Friends" on Oct. 14.

Space Movies & Shows
How the impossible geometry of 'Tomb Raider III''s UFO level was made

By Daryl Baxter Published

Bigger on the inside? Where have we heard that before?

Space Games
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What's Up In Space Today

Search For Life

a man in a suit and a NASA pin speaks on stage
NASA chief Jared Isaacman wants to stay 'open-minded' about UFOs: 'If it's aliens, I think NASA should have a seat at the table'

By Leonard David Published

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman suggested sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena might signal another 'Sputnik Moment' looming on the horizon for the United States.

Search for Life
A close up of Earth in space
Ocean chemistry on ancient Earth could help scientists search for life on alien worlds

By Sharmila Kuthunur Published

A new look at ancient rocks suggests that a self-sustaining nutrient cycle in ancient oceans helped keep Earth's atmosphere rich in oxygen for millions of years.

Search for Life
Screenshot from a video showing the amoeba Incendiamoeba cascadensis moving at 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). When pushed to its limits in the lab, I. cascadensis can remain partially active at 150.8 degrees F (66 degrees C) and can recover from exposure to 158 degrees F (70 degrees C) for five minutes. However, 176 degrees F (80 degrees C) proved to be too much for the amoeba to come back from.
Newfound 'fire amoeba' could broaden the search for alien life to planets hotter than Earth

By Keith Cooper Published

A newfound amoeba just set a heat-tolerance record for multicellular organisms, widening the range of environments in which astrobiologists might find alien life.

Search for Life
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Technology

Fly high for longer with $100 off this expert-recommended DJI drone

By Chris McMullen Published

Deals Our drone expert thinks this DJI Neo is ideal for beginners and with 30% off for Prime Big Deal Days, this battery-and-remote bundle deal means you can soar high for nearly an hour.

Deals
AstroForge plans to launch Autonomy-1, the first-ever fully autonomous space mission, aboard Stoke Space's Nova Pathfinder rocket in early 2027.
'Without a single command from the ground': Asteroid-mining company to launch world's 1st autonomous space mission in 2027

By Mike Wall Published

AstroForge plans to launch the first-ever totally autonomous space mission in 2027, potentially paving the way for a new era of exploration.

Technology
Our expert gave these powerful, budget-friendly binoculars five stars and now they're over $100 off

By Chris McMullen Published

Deals Looking for quality binoculars but don't want to spend a fortune? Our expert gave Nikon's M7 range our maximum rating and now the 10x42 model is the cheapest it's been in a long time.

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