Skywatching

Aurora forecast for Dec. 16: Northern lights confined to high latitudes again 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 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
A meteor is pictured shooting diagonally through a starry night sky.

Watch the Geminid meteor shower peak tonight from the comfort of home with this free livestream

By Anthony Wood published

The Geminid meteor shower occurs as Earth passes through the debris from asteroid (3200) Phaethon

Meteors & Meteor Showers
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Spaceflight

seven playing cards depicting mythological characters and animals from the natural world

Ghosts, sharks and Norse mythology: US Space Force unveils new names for satellites and space weapons

By Brett Tingley published

The U.S. Space Force unveiled the new naming scheme that it will use for its spacecraft and space-based weaponry, drawing inspiration from mythology and the natural world.

Launches & Spacecraft
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
Imagery from the Starfish Space/Impulse Space Remora mission, during which one Mira spacecraft approached within a mere 4,100 feet (1,250 meters) of another.

Surprise! 2 private spacecraft rendezvous in orbit on newly revealed 'Remora' mission

By Mike Wall published

Two commercial spacecraft pulled off a surprise rendezvous in Earth orbit recently, showcasing skills that could pave the way for satellite servicing missions down the road.

Satellites
Graphic illustration with 'space calendar' in large blue neon letters and 2025 below it in smaller white letters. Below the title are four neon images depicting a meteor or comet, a telescope, a rocket launch and an astronaut's helmet. There is a starry background to the entire image.

Space calendar 2025: Rocket launches, skywatching events, missions & more!

By Space.com last updated

Reference Keep up with all the rocket launches, astronomical events and mission milestones for 2025 with our space calendar.

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

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites into orbit on 100th Falcon 9 flight from Florida in 2025 (video)

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
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Science & Astronomy

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2025

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 2025.

Reference
a rectangular satellite covered in solar panels floats in space above Earth

Private satellites pinpoint methane emissions from oil, gas and coal facilities worldwide

By Stefanie Waldek published

Using high-resolution observations from the GHGSat satellite constellation, researchers have produced the first global, facility-level estimate of methane emissions from the energy sector.

Climate Change
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Space Photo of the Day

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Entertainment

Fallout games ranked, worst to best

By Fran Ruiz published

With the Fallout TV show venturing back out into the Wasteland, what better time to rank every Fallout game from worst to best?

Space Games

'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
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What's Up In Space Today

Search For Life

A silhouette of a planet is in front of a giant sun with a small planet to the right of the image

Which exoplanet in the TRAPPIST-1 system could be habitable? Scientists are modeling the star to find out

By Samantha Mathewson published

Frequent flares from the nearby star TRAPPIST-1 could offer new clues in the search for habitable planets beyond Earth.

Search for Life
A reddish dusty surface is seen with an orange sun in the background

Beyond the habitable zone: Exoplanet atmospheres are the next clue to finding life on planets orbiting distant stars

By Morgan Underwood published

But being in this sweet spot doesn't automatically mean a planet is hospitable to life.

Search for Life
"Wow!" signal printout. The comment on the side inspired the event's name.

SETI's 'Noah’s Ark' – a space historian explores how the advent of radio astronomy led to the USSR’s search for extraterrestrial life

By Gabriela Radulescu published

An expert dives into the history of radio astronomy and the search for life beyond our Earth.

Search for Life
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Technology

A man wearing a red hoodie and tan pants points to a nearby drone hovering over rippling sand dunes

NASA tests drones in Death Valley | Space photo of the day for Dec. 15, 2025

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

To develop more robust next-generation aerial explorers, NASA's Mars Exploration program is turning to drones.

Technology
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 SpaceX rocket lifts off in the background behind the sign for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

US Space Force to get 'next level' tech to combat drones near Cape Canaveral launch sites

By Brett Tingley published

The U.S. Space Force is boosting its ability to deter and defeat drones and other uncrewed aerial systems near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the Eastern Range.

Aerospace
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