Stefanie Waldek
Space.com contributing writer Stefanie Waldek is a self-taught space nerd and aviation geek who is passionate about all things spaceflight and astronomy. With a background in travel and design journalism, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University, she specializes in the budding space tourism industry and Earth-based astrotourism. In her free time, you can find her watching rocket launches or looking up at the stars, wondering what is out there. Learn more about her work at www.stefaniewaldek.com.
Latest articles by Stefanie Waldek
James Webb Space Telescope reveals how galaxies made the early universe transparent
By Stefanie Waldek published
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have determined that stars in early galaxies transformed the gas throughout the universe from opaque to transparent.
Why does Jupiter change its stripes? Scientists may finally have the answer
By Stefanie Waldek published
Using data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, an international team has correlated the variations in Jupiter's bands to changes in the planet's magnetic field.
Perseus constellation: Facts, location and myth
By Stefanie Waldek last updated
Reference Perseus is the 24th largest constellation in the sky and is visible across the Northern Hemisphere We explore the ancient constellation in more detail here.
See the crescent moon have a close encounter with Mars tonight
By Stefanie Waldek published
The moon and Mars will dance together in the night sky both tonight (May 23) and Wednesday night (May 24).
Rare 'black moon' new moon of May 2023 rises tonight
By Stefanie Waldek published
Tonight (May 19) is the new moon, and it's a rare "black moon," which occurs approximately once every 33 months.
Some mysterious 'fast radio bursts' may erupt from two-star systems
By Stefanie Waldek published
A new study has determined the most likely origin of one repeating fast radio burst to be a dense object — potentially a neutron star — with a binary companion.
Powerful sun storm could supercharge auroras this week
By Stefanie Waldek published
The sun fired a huge cloud of plasma directly at Earth on Sunday evening (May 7), an outburst that could boost auroras in the next day or so.
NASA is about to lock these 4 researchers in a simulated Mars outpost for a year
By Stefanie Waldek published
Four crewmembers will live in a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center in a simulation of a Mars mission.
See dwarf planet Haumea at its closest to Earth in 285 years tonight
By Stefanie Waldek published
Dwarf planet Haumea reaches both opposition and perigee on April 20, making this a prime opportunity to see the dwarf planet in the night sky.
Watch the moon and Saturn have a close encounter in the sky tonight
By Stefanie Waldek published
The moon and Saturn will be separated by about three degrees during a conjunction and close approach that occurs overnight on April 15.
Watch the half-lit last quarter moon illuminate the night sky tonight
By Stefanie Waldek published
As we get closer to the new moon, stargazing conditions will improve with the lack of natural light pollution.
What time is the rare hybrid solar eclipse on April 20?
By Stefanie Waldek published
On April 20, 2023, there will be a rare hybrid solar eclipse. Though you won't be able to see the eclipse from North America, you can still tune in to live streams.
Sultan Al Neyadi to perform 1st spacewalk by an Arab astronaut this month
By Stefanie Waldek published
UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is scheduled to become the first Arab astronaut to perform a spacewalk on April 28, 2023. Al Neyadi is aboard the International Space Station for a six-month mission.
Pulverizing dangerous asteroids, building an observatory on the moon and more: 6 wild ideas catch NASA's eye
By Stefanie Waldek published
NASA has announced its 2023 Phase 2 NIAC grantees, a group of six futuristic concepts that include a radio telescope array on the moon and a new form of planetary defense.
Zoom in on Mars like never before with this epic 3D map of the Red Planet
By Stefanie Waldek published
The interactive Global CTX Mosaic of Mars is the most detailed 3D map of Mars ever made. It was developed using 110,000 images taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Astronomers develop new AI software to sharpen photos from ground-based telescopes
By Stefanie Waldek published
Researchers have developed new AI-powered software that can sharpen astronomical images from ground-based telescopes that are blurred by Earth's atmosphere.
James Webb Space Telescope spots the Cosmic Seahorse through a gravitational lens (photo)
By Stefanie Waldek published
The Cosmic Seahorse galaxy is seen through a gravitational lens in a newly released image from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Planetary Society leads the charge to save NASA's VERITAS Venus mission
By Stefanie Waldek published
After dramatic budget cuts stalled NASA's VERITAS Venus mission, the nonprofit Planetary Society urges Congress for a revival.
This new AI-powered computer model can predict dangerous solar storms
By Stefanie Waldek published
A new AI-powered computer model is trained to predict when and where solar storms will strike Earth, giving us time to prepare infrastructure that could be impacted, such as the power grid.
Hubble telescope spies mysterious celestial object that defies classification
By Stefanie Waldek published
The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged celestial object Z-229-15, which is simultaneously classified as a Seyfert galaxy, an active galactic nucleus (AGN), and a quasar.
Watch Mars near the first quarter moon in the night sky tonight
By Stefanie Waldek published
This month's first quarter moon occurs today, March 28, meaning it will appear half-full in the night sky.
Scientists find meteorite in Texas from fireball that exploded with the force of 8 tons of TNT
By Stefanie Waldek published
The meteoroid was traveling about 27,000 mph (43,452 kph) when it struck the atmosphere, exploding into smaller pieces — some of which hit the ground.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter confirms that China's Zhurong rover has been stationary for months
By Stefanie Waldek published
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed China's Zhurong rover in the same location for five months, indicating the rover has not yet awoken from hibernation.
Get the Space.com Newsletter
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!