Skywatching

Best targets to observe between Christmas and New Year 2025

By Jamie Carter published

From a crescent moon and a 'Christmas Star' to deep sky delights, the wonders of the holiday night sky are yours to explore.

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

Night sky tonight Dec. 23: Don't miss the delicate crescent moon tonight

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. 23 - Northern lights possible tonight amid lingering space weather

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
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Spaceflight

a grey orb pockmarked with craters

On this day in space! Dec. 23, 1672: Giovanni Cassini discovers Saturn's moon Rhea

By Hanneke Weitering, Chelsea Gohd last updated

On Dec. 23, 1672, Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini discovered Rhea, Saturn's second-largest moon.

Space Exploration
An image from inside a warehouse shows two tall white cylinders on either side of a yellow taller cylinder. The two white cylinders have red, white and blue paint with the words 'America 250' on them.

Artemis 2 moon rocket gets 'America 250' paint job | Space photo of the day for Dec. 23, 2025

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

The "America 250" logo commemorates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Artemis
South Korean startup Innospace launches its first Hanbit-Nano rocket from Alcantara Space Center in Brazil. The launch failed about a minute after liftoff.

South Korean startup Innospace fails on its 1st orbital launch attempt

By Mike Wall published

The South Korean startup Innospace failed during its first orbital launch attempt, which sent five satellites aloft on Dec. 22 from Brazil.

Launches & Spacecraft
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launches "The Wisdom God Guides" mission for the Japanese company iQPS from New Zealand on Dec. 21, 2025.

Rocket Lab launches final mission of 2025, sends Japanese Earth-observing satellite to orbit (video)

By Mike Wall published

Rocket Lab launched its 21st and final mission of the year over the weekend, sending a private Japanese Earth-observing satellite to orbit.

Launches & Spacecraft
A large metal spacecraft is sits on a platform in a warehouse with lettering behind it

Meet Qingzhou, China's next-gen cargo craft for its Tiangong space station (video)

By Andrew Jones published

Qingzhou is a lighter and potentially lower-cost alternative to China's Tianzhou freighter.

Human Spaceflight
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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 nebula. The top-left is dense with layers of fluffy pink and greenish clouds. Long strands of green clouds stretch out from here; a faint layer of translucent blue dust combines with them to create a three-dimensional scene. A sparse network of dark dust clouds in the foreground adds reddish-black patches atop the nebula. Blue-white and orange stars, from our galaxy and beyond, are spread amongst the clouds.

Nebula knowledge: Do you know these stunning space structures?

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

Test your cosmic eye: can you match these dazzling nebula images to their names?

Astronomy
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Space Photo of the Day

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Entertainment

10 most expensive Lego Star Wars sets available right now

By Kim Snaith published

In a galaxy not so far away, Lego sets can be VERY expensive: Here are the most expensive Lego Star Wars sets you can currently buy.

Space Toys & Lego

The best sci-fi TV shows of 2025, ranked

By Richard Edwards published

Watch those skies! In 2025, quality television really did come from outer space.

Space Movies & Shows
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What's Up In Space Today

Search For Life

Saturn's moon Titan looks a bit like Earth, but is, in fact, very different.

Surprise! Saturn's huge moon Titan may not have a buried ocean after all

By Charles Q. Choi published

"We're not certain if having widespread liquid pockets instead of a global ocean makes Titan more or less habitable."

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
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Technology

A model rocket, a brick built aeroplane and shuttle, a bin-shaped projector and an orange telescope are all positioned on an orange planet background.

The best last-minute holiday gifts for any die hard space superfan

By Grace Dean published

Show the space enthusiast in your life that you love them to the moon and back with the best last-minute holiday gifts available.

Technology
A hand is holding a mobile phone with a VPN on while a laptop with the same VPN screen is in the background, on a plain surface.

Best VPN services we recommend 2025

By Alexander Cox published

A VPN is a great tool for online safety and streaming, and ensuring content won't be geo-locked on your travels. These are the six best options out there.

Technology
A woman is watching television in a living room, the television is placed above a fire place and she is eating popcorn.

Best streaming devices to watch sci-fi shows and movies in 2025

By Alexander Cox published

Convert your TV into a smart TV with a streaming stick and watch all your favorite sci-fi shows and movies in one place, to access your streaming service of choice.

Technology
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