Skywatching

new moon illustration shows a very dimly lit moon against a black background.

New moon calendar 2026: When is the next new moon?

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference Discover what a new moon is and when the next new moon will occur with our new moon 2025 guide.

Reference
A shooting star is pictured streaking down through a starry sky above a frozen lake it night, bordered by snow-dappled hills.

Ursid meteor shower 2025 peaks tonight: Here's what to expect from the yuletide light show

By Anthony Wood published

Ursid shooting stars may be visible throughout the night on Dec. 21-22.

Meteors & Meteor Showers

Winter solstice 2025 marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere today

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Today marks the shortest day and longest night of the year as the sun reaches its lowest point in the Northern Hemisphere sky.

Stargazing
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Spaceflight

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
NASA research pilot Bill Dana watches NASA's NB-52B overhead after a flight in the HL-10 lifting body. The HL-10 was one of five lifting body designs flown at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California, from 1966-1975 to study maneuvering and landing a low lift-over-drag vehicle designed for reentry from space.

On this day in space! Dec. 22, 1966: 1st flight of the HL-10 Lifting Body

By Hanneke Weitering, Chelsea Gohd last updated

On Dec. 22, 1966, the HL-10 Lifting Body took its first flight.

Space Exploration
SpaceX's Starship megarocket launches on the vehicle's 10th flight test, on Aug. 26, 2025.

Starship success, a private moon landing and more: The top 10 spaceflight stories of 2025

By Mike Wall published

Over the past 12 months, we saw multiple spaceflight records broken, the debut of a powerful new rocket and the first-ever fully successful private moon landing.

Space Exploration
a small rocket carrying six people in a capsule lifts off, set against the rising sun

Blue Origin launches 1st wheelchair user to space and back (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

Blue Origin launched wheelchair user Michi Benthaus and her NS-37 five crewmates aboard a New Shepard rocket from West Texas on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025.

Private Spaceflight
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Science & Astronomy

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
An image from Antarctica shows a giant machine in the foreground with a construction worker with a vest in the front left image and a white weather balloon in the background

NASA launches science balloon in Antarctica | Space photo of the day for Dec. 22, 2025

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

The first scientific balloon flight happened on Dec. 16, 2025.

Earth
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Space Photo of the Day

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Entertainment

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
a book featuring antique celestial maps

12 days of space and sci-fi books: Check out these festive holiday titles for your gift list or yourself!

By Jeff Spry published

Yuletide season is officially upon us and here's a joyous array of new titles to add to your holiday reading list.

Entertainment
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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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