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  • Vera C. Rubin Observatory days away from launching decade-long sky survey
    by Brooks Mendenhall on June 17, 2026 at 4:47 pm

    The wait is almost over. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is just weeks, maybe even just days, away from officially beginning its landmark 10-year sky survey, according to officials at the 248th American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in Pasadena this week. “A lot of people in the community are waiting for that moment for theContinue reading "Vera C. Rubin Observatory days away from launching decade-long sky survey" The post Vera C. Rubin Observatory days away from launching decade-long sky survey appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • The Sky This Week from June 12 to 19: A daytime occultation of Venus
    by Alison Klesman on June 12, 2026 at 5:00 am

    Friday, June 12The Moon passes 6° north of Mars at 5 P.M. EDT. You can catch the pair in the early-morning sky today (see The Sky Today on Friday, June 12) or tomorrow (June 13) before dawn, when they will stand about 8° above the eastern horizon an hour before sunrise, with the Moon toContinue reading "The Sky This Week from June 12 to 19: A daytime occultation of Venus" The post The Sky This Week from June 12 to 19: A daytime occultation of Venus appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • Untangling the cosmic web
    by Brooks Mendenhall on June 10, 2026 at 7:23 pm

    There is a pattern found in nature. It is indeed the largest pattern there is. It is so vast that it spans the universe, filling up its observable volume. The pattern is made of individual units in the same way your body is made of cells — if each of your cells were a galaxyContinue reading "Untangling the cosmic web" The post Untangling the cosmic web appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • Meet the astronauts flying on Artemis 3
    by Brooks Mendenhall on June 9, 2026 at 9:28 pm

    When NASA added a low Earth orbit test flight to the Artemis program in February, pushing the lunar landing from Artemis 3 to Artemis 4, it left the details sparse. On Tuesday, the agency filled them in. At a press conference, NASA named the four-person crew for Artemis 3, a 2027 Earth-orbit test flight thatContinue reading "Meet the astronauts flying on Artemis 3" The post Meet the astronauts flying on Artemis 3 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • NASA fails to reestablish contact, decommissions MAVEN
    by Brooks Mendenhall on June 9, 2026 at 2:54 pm

    NASA has ended its attempts to reconnect with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft and begun decommissioning the orbiter, closing the book on a mission that spent over a decade studying how Mars lost its atmosphere. At a June 3 media conference, NASA officials announced that an anomaly review board — which wasContinue reading "NASA fails to reestablish contact, decommissions MAVEN" The post NASA fails to reestablish contact, decommissions MAVEN appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

  • Kickstart summer with these new astronomy products
    by Astronomy Staff on June 9, 2026 at 1:47 pm

    Celestron Nature DX ED 10x42mm Roof Binoculars CelestronTorrance, California Celestron Nature DX ED 10x42mm Roof Binoculars feature extra-low dispersion objective lenses and BaK-4 prisms, assuring proper color without fringing. All lenses are fully multicoated. The binoculars have a true field of view of 5.9° and can focus as close as 6.5 feet (2 meters). WeighingContinue reading "Kickstart summer with these new astronomy products" The post Kickstart summer with these new astronomy products appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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