On this day in space: March 7, 1962: NASA launches Orbiting Solar Observatory

On March 7, 1962, NASA launched the first Orbiting Solar Observatory. Eight of these satellites were launched between 1962 and 1975 to study the 11-year solar cycle. Each of the satellites had two main parts called the "wheel" and the "sail." The sail cont…

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Cosmic Hawk spreads its wings| Space photo of the day for March 6, 2026.

Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have captured a stunning image of a glowing nebula in the Milky Way that resembles a vast cosmic hawk swooping down on its prey. What is it? The nebula in question is RCW 36, located around 2,300 light-years away from Earth in…

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March is a great time to spot the odd glow of zodiacal light.

Look to the western sky around sunset on the nights surrounding the spring equinox this month and you may notice a strange column of light stretching up from the horizon. Read on to discover how and when to see zodiacal light and what causes this "false dawn" disp…

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Did Earth life actually begin on Mars? Asteroid impacts could let microbes planet-hop, study suggests.

A remarkably hardy bacterium can survive pressures similar to those generated when asteroid impacts blast debris off Mars, a new study has found, suggesting that microbes could endure interplanetary journeys and potentially seed life on other worlds, including Earth. The fin…

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NASA to Cover Northrop Grumman Cargo Spacecraft Departure.

After delivering more than 11,000 pounds of supplies, science investigations, hardware, and other cargo to the International Space Station for NASA and its international partners, the Cygnus XL spacecraft supporting Northrop Grumman’s 23rd Commercial Resupply Services missi…

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Humanity heating planet faster than ever before, study find.

Humanity is heating the planet faster than ever before, a study has found. Climate breakdown is occurring more rapidly with the heating rate almost doubling, according to research that excludes the effect of natural factors behind the latest scorching temperatures. It found g…

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Rocket Lab launches mystery satellite for 'confidential commercial customer'

Rocket Lab launched a mystery satellite for a secretive private customer this evening (March 5). An Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site today at 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT; 12:53 p.m. on March 6 local time), kicking off a mission the company calls …

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Indonesia Petrochemical Giant Declares Force Majeure on Iran War.

Indonesian petrochemical maker PT Chandra Asri Pacific has declared force majeure, citing disruption to feedstock shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of the Iran war. The Jakarta-based company notified customers of the disruption in a March 2 notice…

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Dennis Cometti, legendary sports commentator, dies aged 76.

Legendary sports commentator Dennis Cometti has died aged 76, his family has confirmed. Cometti covered a range of sports but was perhaps best known for his work as a VFL/AFL commentator on television from 1986. ABC presenter Mark Gibson fought back tears as he broke the news…

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US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges.

US military commanders have been invoking extremist Christian rhetoric about biblical “end times” to justify involvement in the Iran war to troops, according to complaints made to a watchdog group . The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) says it has received more th…

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CIA working to arm Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran, sources say.

The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN. The Trump administration has been in active discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about providing …

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US jets crash in Kuwait.

Iran continues to strike US assets across the Gulf after the killing of more than 550 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint US-Israeli attacks. Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, has refuted US media claims that he ha…

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SAG’s Actor Awards Winners: ‘Sinners’ Wins Top Prize, ‘The Studio’ and ‘The Pitt’ Lead for TV.

“Sinners,” a vampire movie that unfolds in the segregated South, triumphed at the 2026 Actor Awards on Sunday night, winning the top prize for best ensemble in a motion picture while its star Michael B. Jordan was named best lead actor. “The Studio,” a sendup of many of the …

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Prince Reza Pahlavi says he wants to lead Iran in a transition to democracy.

Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the country's last shah, is making his case for transitioning his home country to a democracy. Pahlavi has lived outside of Iran since his father, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution t…

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Social media can be addictive even for adults, but there are ways to cut back.

Social media addiction has been compared to casinos, opioids and cigarettes. While there’s some debate among experts about the line between overuse and addiction, and whether social media can cause the latter, there is no doubt that many people feel like they can’t escape th…

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A total lunar eclipse will turn the moon blood red on Tuesday across several continents.

A blood-red moon will soon grace the skies for a total lunar eclipse — and there won’t be another until late 2028. The spectacle will be visible Tuesday morning from North America, Central America and the western part of South America. Australia and eastern Asia can catch it…

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Catch Jupiter glowing under the waxing moon tonight (Feb. 26).

If your sky is clear early tonight (Feb. 26), be sure to check out the east-southeast sky about an hour or so after sundown. There, located about two-thirds up from the horizon, you'll find an eye-catching sight. You'll immediately see the moon, which will be at its…

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World's largest radio telescope array pierces heart of our Milky Way: 'This is just the beginning'.

Using the world's largest radio telescope array, The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, astronomers have dived deeper into the turbulent and complex tendrils of gas and dust at the heart of our galaxy than ever before. The image of the Central Molecular Zone (…

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On this day in space: Feb. 25, 1982: Western Union launches Westar 4 communications satellite.

On Feb. 25, 1982, the Western Union company launched a communication satellite called Westar 4. Western Union was the first American telecommunications company to have a fleet of its own satellites. Westar 4 was twice as big as the first three Westar satellites and had four …

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NASA Artemis II Rocket Returns for Repairs.

NASA will roll its Artemis 2 moon rocket off the launch pad on Wednesday (Feb. 25) to deal with a glitch, and you can watch the long trek live. Artemis 2's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, topped by the Orion spacecraft, will start rolling off Kennedy Space Center's…

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NASA just fueled up its Artemis 2 moon rocket in 2nd critical test.

NASA's second attempt to fuel up its Artemis 2 moon rocket appeared to go well on Thursday (Feb. 19), potentially keeping the mission on track to launch as soon as early March. The space agency wrapped up the Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal (WDR) — a two-day-long practice …

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Feb. 20, 1962: John Glenn becomes 1st American to orbit Earth.

On Feb. 20, 1962, NASA launched an astronaut into orbit around the Earth for the first time. John Glenn was the third American to launch into space and the third human to orbit Earth. Two Soviet cosmonauts had orbited Earth before him. He blasted off from Cape Canaveral in a…

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Night sky for tonight and the weekend: Catch fleet-footed Mercury shining above the western horizon.

There is so much to see in the night sky tonight, here's what you can look forward to. A good telescope or pair of binoculars will help you see some of the night sky’s fainter objects. However, the unaided eye is enough to learn its stars and constellations, watch the mo…

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On this day in space: Feb. 19, 1986: Russia's Mir space station launched into orbit.

On Feb. 19, 1986, the Soviet Union launched the Mir space station. While this wasn't the first space station launched into orbit, it was the first one that had to be assembled piece-by-piece in space. Mir enabled the first long-duration human spaceflight missions. The cur…

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Why solar and lunar eclipses come in pairs — and what an eclipse season really is.

We tend to hear about solar and lunar eclipses only in the days before they happen, often with the impression that they are unfolding in far-off or exotic parts of the world. For months, the sky follows the familiar rhythm of new and full moons, and then — seemingly out of …

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Ukraine's officials to boycott Paralympics over Russian flag decision.

Ukrainian officials will boycott the Paralympic Winter Games, Kyiv said Wednesday, after the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russian athletes to compete under their national flag. Ukraine also urged other countries to shun next month's Opening Ceremony in Vero…

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