Skywatching

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

Night sky tonight: See a pair of stellar triangles shine with the Milky Way

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 Jan. 5 - Northern lights retreat to high latitudes tonight as space weather calms

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 compilation of eclipse images making a time lapse photo showing a dark dot in the center for a full totality solar eclipse

2026 begins a golden age of solar eclipses: How to see 3 total solar eclipses and 3 'ring of fire' eclipses in 3 years

By Jamie Carter published

Earth is about to see three total solar eclipses in just under two years, with each successive path of totality moving west to east across the globe. Here's everything you need to know to plan an exquisite triple-header.

Eclipses
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Spaceflight

a timelapse photo of a rocket launch causes the appearance of a bright beam of light extending from the ground into the night sky

SpaceX launches 1st Starlink satellites of 2026 on new Falcon 9 rocket (video)

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.

Launches & Spacecraft
An illustration showing a metal satellite floating above Earth with metal debris strewn about it in space with the sun at the top of the image

The risk of falling space junk hitting airplanes is on the rise, experts warn

By Kiona N. Smith published

Space debris falling to Earth is a growing threat to aircraft, and experts are trying to reduce the risk.

Satellites
illustration of debris in orbit around Earth

The next frontier in space is closer than you think – welcome to the world of very low Earth orbit satellites

By Sven Bilén published

But as more and more satellites are launched into LEO...the region's getting a bit crowded.

Satellites
An illustration showing two boxy satellites with solar panels floating in front of the red planet Mars

Live long and loiter: Why NASA's ESCAPADE probes will wait a year in space before heading to Mars

By Leonard David published

NASA's ESCAPADE Mars probes embarked on a 'loiter' trajectory after launch, and scientists say that extra time in space could have some consequences for the twin spacecraft.

Launches & Spacecraft
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation mission for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence from California on Jan. 2, 2026.

SpaceX launches Italian Earth-observing satellite to orbit on the 1st mission of 2026 (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX launched the first mission of 2026 tonight (Jan. 2), sending an Italian Earth-observing satellite to orbit.

Launches & Spacecraft
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Science & Astronomy

a dull, cratered planet is seen from space, curving out of frame. in the black of space, far away, a bright star shines.

On this day in space: Jan. 5, 2005: Discovery of Eris ignites Pluto-planet debate

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

On Jan. 5, 2005, astronomers at NASA discovered Eris, the second-largest dwarf planet in the solar system.

Dwarf Planets
A cluster of stars inside a large nebula. The clouds of gas and dust are predominantly bright red in colour and wispy, akin to flames. They are clumped in the bottom-left corner. Other clouds, deeper in the cluster behind many of the stars, appear pale pink. The stars are concentrated in the top half of the image and are mostly small, bright white and six-pointed. They cast blue light over the nebula. Other stars with very long spikes surrounding them lie in the foreground.

Carina Nebula shines with white-blue stars | Space photo of the day for Jan. 5, 2026

By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published

The Westerlund 2 star cluster is home to some of the Milky Way's brightest stars.

Stars
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Space Photo of the Day

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Entertainment

A parade float with the saucer spaceship from the hit show Star Trek with people sitting with clear umbrellas at the front of the float.

'Star Trek' warps into 2026 with epic 'Space For Everybody' Rose Parade float

By Jeff Spry published

2026 is a special year for creator Gene Roddenberry's iconic "Wagon Train To The Stars" sci-fi franchise as it celebrates its 60th anniversary seeking out new life and new civilizations!

Entertainment

16 upcoming sci-fi shows to be excited for in 2026

By Sergio Pereira published

Entertainment is the final frontier, as you experience everything from Starfleet to the Green Lantern Corps and Godzilla in 2026.

Space Movies & Shows
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What's Up In Space Today

Search For Life

An illustration shows an ultra short period planet with a traile of gas and dust following it

Can scientists detect life without knowing what it looks like? Research using machine learning offers a new way

By Amirali Aghazadeh published

If nonliving materials can produce rich, organized mixtures of organic molecules, then the traditional signs we use to recognize biology may no longer be enough.

Search for Life
A man looks at the camera sitting in the audience with other people wearing formal attire while a projector screen in the back is lit up with a grid-like image

We didn't find answers in 2025, but UFO researchers say the search continues

By Leonard David published

"Science doesn't always go as planned. In any case, there's a lot of work to be done."

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
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Technology

A woman eating popcorn on a sofa watching her laptop

Why do I need a VPN?

By Alexander Cox published

A VPN, or virtual private network, is great for online safety and accessing content while travelling. It's worth getting, but why? Scroll down to find out.

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

The best streaming device out there: Which one comes out on top — Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku Ultra, Apple TV and Google TV Streamer?

By Alexander Cox published

Which is the best streaming device out there? We've pitted four of the best models on the market against each other to determine the top option.

Technology
A dark room light up by blue light showing a series of servers and wires

Google's proposed data center in orbit will face issues with space debris in an already crowded orbit

By Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti published

As a space scientist, I predict that the company will soon have to reckon with a growing problem: space debris.

Technology
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