Astronomy News

EarthSky News:

  • Mercury farthest from the sunrise this week
    by Editors of EarthSky on December 22, 2024 at 1:00 pm

    Mercury reaches its greatest elongation - greatest distance from the sunrise - on December 25, 2024. Look east at dawn. It'll brighten for the next few weeks. The post Mercury farthest from the sunrise this week first appeared on EarthSky.

  • See the top 10 stories of 2024 from EarthSky
    by Kelly Kizer Whitt on December 22, 2024 at 12:14 pm

    Here are the top 10 stories of 2024. We had a busy year with asteroids hitting Earth's atmosphere, dinosaur tracks, cicadas and more! The post See the top 10 stories of 2024 from EarthSky first appeared on EarthSky.

  • ESA’s 2025 calendar: Best of Hubble and Webb
    by EarthSky Voices on December 22, 2024 at 12:09 pm

    The European Space Agency has announced its 2025 calendar, featuring the best images from Hubble and Webb from the past year. And it's free for you to download! The post ESA’s 2025 calendar: Best of Hubble and Webb first appeared on EarthSky.

  • EarthSky’s top photos from 2024: See them here!
    by Kelly Kizer Whitt on December 22, 2024 at 12:06 pm

    See the top photos from 2024 submitted by our EarthSky community. We had an amazing year for skywatchers, from auroras to comets to a total solar eclipse. The post EarthSky’s top photos from 2024: See them here! first appeared on EarthSky.

Universe Today:

  • NASA is Developing Solutions for Lunar Housekeeping’s Biggest Problem: Dust!
    by Matt Williams on December 22, 2024 at 1:22 am

    Through the Artemis Program, NASA will send the first astronauts to the Moon since the Apollo Era before 2030. They will be joined by multiple space agencies, like the ESA and China, who plan to send astronauts (and “taikonauts”) there for the first time. Beyond this, all plan to build permanent habitats in the South … Continue reading "NASA is Developing Solutions for Lunar Housekeeping’s Biggest Problem: Dust!" The post NASA is Developing Solutions for Lunar Housekeeping’s Biggest Problem: Dust! appeared first on Universe Today.

  • Where’s the Most Promising Place to Find Martian Life?
    by Paul M. Sutter on December 22, 2024 at 12:32 am

    New research suggests that our best hopes for finding existing life on Mars isn’t on the surface, but buried deep within the crust. Several years ago NASA’s Curiosity rover measured traces of methane in the Martian atmosphere at levels several times the background. But a few months later, the methane disappeared, only for it to … Continue reading "Where’s the Most Promising Place to Find Martian Life?" The post Where’s the Most Promising Place to Find Martian Life? appeared first on Universe Today.

  • Can Entangled Particles Communicate Faster than Light?
    by Paul M. Sutter on December 21, 2024 at 12:29 am

    Entanglement is perhaps one of the most confusing aspects of quantum mechanics. On its surface, entanglement allows particles to communicate over vast distances instantly, apparently violating the speed of light. But while entangled particles are connected, they don’t necessarily share information between them. In quantum mechanics, a particle isn’t really a particle. Instead of being … Continue reading "Can Entangled Particles Communicate Faster than Light?" The post Can Entangled Particles Communicate Faster than Light? appeared first on Universe Today.

APOD: Astronomy Picture of the Day:

NASA Breaking News:

  • NASA Ames Astrogram – December 2024
    by Astrid Albaugh on December 20, 2024 at 11:59 pm

    2024 Year in Review – Highlights from NASA in Silicon Valley by Tiffany Blake As NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley enters its 85th year since its founding, join us as we take a look back at some of our highlights of science, engineering, research, and innovation from 2024. Ames Arc Jets Play Key

  • NASA Exhibit Puts Visitors in Test Conductor Seat
    by Deborah K. Fendley on December 20, 2024 at 10:48 pm

    NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, is helping the Artemis Generation learn how to power space dreams with an interactive exhibit at INFINITY Science Center. The engine test simulator exhibit at the official visitor center of NASA Stennis provides the chance to experience the thrill of being a NASA test engineer by

  • NASA Selects Four Commercial Companies to Support Near Space Network
    by Abbey A. Donaldson on December 20, 2024 at 10:40 pm

    NASA has selected multiple companies to expand the agency’s Near Space Network’s commercial direct-to-Earth capabilities services, which is a mission-critical communication capability that allows spacecraft to transmit data directly to ground stations on Earth. The work will be awarded under new Near Space Network services contracts that are firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. Project timelines span from

  • NASA’s New Deep Space Network Antenna Has Its Crowning Moment
    by Anthony Greicius on December 20, 2024 at 10:01 pm

    Deep Space Station 23’s 133-ton reflector dish was recently installed, marking a key step in strengthening NASA’s Deep Space Network. NASA’s Deep Space Network, an array of giant radio antennas, allows agency missions to track, send commands to, and receive scientific data from spacecraft venturing to the Moon and beyond. NASA is adding a new

  • NASA Welcomes Liechtenstein as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
    by Roxana Bardan on December 20, 2024 at 8:53 pm

    Liechtenstein signed the Artemis Accords Friday during a ceremony hosted by NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the 52nd nation to commit to the responsible exploration of space for all humanity. “Today, as Liechtenstein signs the Artemis Accords, we take another step forward together, united by the promise of

Space Station News:

  • Station Science Top News: Dec. 20, 2024
    by Sumer Loggins on December 20, 2024 at 7:19 pm

    A method for evaluating thermophysical properties of metal alloys Simulation of the solidification of metal alloys, a key step in certain industrial processes, requires reliable data on their thermophysical properties such as surface tension and viscosity. Researchers propose comparing predictive models with experimental outcomes as a method to assess these data. Scientists use data on

  • Space Gardens
    by Christian M. Getteau on December 18, 2024 at 5:00 pm

    Science in Space December 2024 As NASA plans missions to the Moon and Mars, one challenge is figuring out how to provide crew members with enough healthy food. Bringing along a supply for months or even years in space is impractical, and stored food can lose taste and nutritional value. Growing plants in space is

  • NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Looks to Thrive in 2025
    by Jason Costa on December 18, 2024 at 4:03 pm

    As NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida wraps up a year that will see more than 90 government, commercial, and private missions launch from Florida’s Space Coast, a look to 2025 shows the missions, partnerships, projects, and programs at the agency’s main launch site will continue innovating, inspiring, and pushing the boundaries of exploration for

NASA Universe:

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Sky & Telescope Observing  News:

  • This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 20 – 29
    by Alan MacRobert on December 20, 2024 at 9:46 am

    Orion now rises in twilight, seemingly enlarged by the Moon illusion. Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars span the evening sky. And here comes another weird pattern of Jupiter's moons. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 20 – 29 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

  • Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) Kicks off the New Year — What to Expect
    by Bob King on December 18, 2024 at 2:49 pm

    The Southern Hemisphere should get a good show of Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3). Mid-northern latitude observers not so much. The post Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) Kicks off the New Year — What to Expect appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

  • This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 13 – 22
    by Alan MacRobert on December 13, 2024 at 9:52 am

    The full Moon will line up with Jupiter and Aldebaran . . . but how well for you? Saturn gets right (angled) with Fomalhaut and Venus. Saturn's two largest moons will form a double star, and three of Jupiter's moons will triangulate. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 13 – 22 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

  • You're Invited to Jupiter's Big, Bright Opposition Bash
    by Bob King on December 6, 2024 at 3:21 pm

    Don't let the cold keep you inside — Jupiter beckons with a brand new storm! The post You're Invited to Jupiter's Big, Bright Opposition Bash appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

  • This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 6 – 15
    by Alan MacRobert on December 6, 2024 at 10:10 am

    The Moon this week shines with Saturn at first quarter, then with Jupiter when full. No surprise; the two giant planets are almost exactly 90° apart. Jupiter is at opposition, and Saturn is at quadrature. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, December 6 – 15 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Sky & Telescope – Explore the Night with Bob King:

Stardate Podcast:

  • Winter Solstice II
    by Billy Henry on December 21, 2024 at 6:00 am

    The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year – the shortest gap between sunrise and sunset. After the solstice, the days gradually get longer, all the way until summer solstice, in June. But the weather doesn’t begin to warm up right after the solstice. On average, in fact, the coldest […]

  • Winter Solstice
    by Billy Henry on December 20, 2024 at 6:00 am

    Winter will spring on the northern hemisphere in the wee hours of tomorrow morning – the winter solstice. That makes today and tomorrow the shortest days of the year – the shortest interval from sunrise to sunset. That makes the nights the longest of the year. Over the centuries, many cultures […]

  • Moon and Regulus
    by Billy Henry on December 19, 2024 at 6:00 am

    Space agencies have been sending missions to the Moon for more than six decades. More than a hundred of them have succeeded. And each success has told us a little bit more about our satellite world. One of the more recent lessons came from a Chinese mission. Chang’e 5 landed in the Ocean of […]

  • Martian Evening
    by Billy Henry on December 18, 2024 at 6:00 am

    If you were camping on Mars right now, you’d see a couple of bright lights low in the west at nightfall. The brighter and higher of the two is Venus. Just as it does for those of us on Earth, it shines as Mars’s brilliant Evening Star. It’s the brightest object in the planet’s night sky […]

  • Moon and Mars
    by Billy Henry on December 17, 2024 at 6:00 am

    It’s generally a good idea to make sure your potatoes are dirt-free before you dig in. If you’re on Mars or the Moon, though, it might be good to mix them with dirt. The combination might make an especially strong form of concrete. Scientists and engineers have spent years thinking about ways […]

Current amateur astronomy information such as points of interest and events in the night sky, star party dates, educational information, telescopes buying tips and much more.