Astronomy

Cosmic crystal ball reveals an ancient dying star | Space photo of the day for May 22, 2026

By Brett Tingley published 22 May 26

A breathtaking new image captures the Crystal Ball Nebula, the remains of a dying star found in the constellation Taurus.

NASA is updating its Artemis moon base plan. You can find out how on May 26.

By Mike Wall published 22 May 26

NASA will give an update on Tuesday afternoon (May 26) about its plans to build a moon base, and you can watch it live.

Scientists thought Jupiter's moon Europa was ejecting water. Now they're not so sure

By Robert Lea published 22 May 26

"The evidence for water vapor plumes on Europa isn’t as strong as we first understood it."

This exoplanet weather forecast by the James Webb Space Telescope calls for sandy skies and a clear (alien) sunset

By Keith Cooper published 21 May 26

Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have witnessed a cloudy morning dissipating to leave a clear sky by dusk on a distant hot Jupiter.

Strange stacked stones spotted on Mars | Space photo of the day for May 21, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published 21 May 26

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has stumbled across an unusual sight: a stack of rocks on the Martian surface.

NASA exoplanet-hunting spacecraft TESS reveals its most complete look at the night sky yet

By Robert Lea published 21 May 26

TESS has released its most complete view of the sky over Earth, revealing the location of 6,000 potential worlds beyond the solar system.

Scientists find a hidden route to the moon that saves fuel

By Julian Dossett published 20 May 26

An international team of researchers say they've found a more efficient route from Earth to the moon using advanced computer modeling.

Where did Neptune's mysterious moon Nereid come from? It may be the only survivor of the planet's violent history

By Chelsea Gohd published 20 May 26

Neptune's moon Nereid might be the only satellite surviving from the planet's original system, researchers report in a new study.

NASA satellite images uncover dramatic changes in Earth's nighttime lights

By Samantha Mathewson published 20 May 26

Using nearly a decade of satellite observations, NASA's Black Marble project reveals a constantly shifting portrait of human nighttime activity visible from space.