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
The great Halley's Comet disappointment of 1986 — and the discoveries that changed astronomy forever

By Joe Rao Published

What disappointed skywatchers in 1986 became a scientific triumph, as an international fleet of spacecraft revealed the secrets of the world's most famous comet.

Stargazing
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.

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Spaceflight

This sharpest-ever image of M51, the "Whirlpool Galaxy," was captured in 2005 with the Hubble Space Telescope.
On this day in space! Oct. 13, 1773: Astronomer Charles Messier discovers the Whirlpool Galaxy before we ever knew it was a galaxy

By Hanneke Weitering Published

On Oct. 13, 1773, a French astronomer named Charles Messier discovered the "Whirlpool Galaxy," also known as Messier 51, or M51. Here's why it mattered.

Space Exploration
a white streak illuminated in the sky flies over a dark landscape and a brick house.
SpaceX rocket launch creates incredible 'space jellyfish' visible throughout US East Coast (photos)

By Josh Dinner Published

The SpaceX cargo launch to the International Space Station on Tuesday morning (Oct. 13) created a dazzling display seen up and down the US East Coast.

Launches & Spacecraft
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
A black and white SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is pictured launching into the night sky, surrounded by scaffold towers.
SpaceX successfully launches 6,300 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station

By Mike Wall Last updated

SpaceX successfully launched more than 3 tons of cargo toward the International Space Station on Tuesday morning (Oct. 13).

Launches & Spacecraft
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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
image of earth from space
Earth's poles shifted surprisingly fast during the age of dinosaurs, ancient sea levels reveal

By Keith Cooper Published

The location of Earth's geographic poles has changed several times over the past 320 million years in a process known as true polar wander.

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.

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Entertainment

Gears of War in order: Chronological and release date

By Fran Ruiz, Ian Stokes Last updated

With the E-Day prequel confirmed to be on the way, now is the perfect time to take a look at the Gears of War games in order.

Space Games
a spacecraft mock-up from a sci-fi tv series
See the original Galileo shuttle from 'Star Trek' in its new home at the Original Series Set Tour in New York

By Jeff Spry Published

This iconic spaceship will now live long and prosper in its brand-new Star Trek Tour home.

Entertainment
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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.

Deals
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