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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NASA will fuel up its Artemis 2 moon rocket for the 2nd time on Feb. 19.

NASA will take another crack at fueling up its huge Artemis 2 moon rocket this week. The agency plans to load more than 700,000 gallons (2.65 million liters) of liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) into Artemis 2's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Thursday (F…

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On this day in space: Feb. 18, 1930: Pluto discovered by Clyde Tombaugh

On Feb. 18, 1930, the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto ! Before he discovered Pluto, another astronomer named Percival Lowell had spent over a decade trying to find it. He had theorized that a ninth planet existed based on wobbles seen in the orbits of Ura…

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Why don't more Tatooine-like exoplanets exist in our Milky Way galaxy? Astronomers might have an answer.

It's one of the most instantly recognizable scenes in cinematic history: Luke Skywalker gazes at a double sunset to the haunting melody of a mournful French horn. And while "Star Wars" may take place in a galaxy far, far away, planets orbiting binary stars act…

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A 'ring of fire' just appeared in the sky over Antarctica. Here's what happened during today's annular solar eclipse.

A magnificent annular solar eclipse just swept over Antarctica, putting on an impressive display of orbital mechanics as the moon passed in front of the sun at the perfect distance from Earth to create a fiery halo in a darkened sky  —  at least for the few souls lucky enou…

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SpaceX sends Starlink satellites into orbit on launches from California and Florida.

SpaceX added a 53 satellites to its Starlink megaconstellation over the course of two launches in as many days. First up was a Valentine's Day (Saturday, Feb. 14) liftoff of 24 satellites (Group 17-13) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force…

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'Fully unlocking the orbital economy': This California company will fly astronauts to the space station in 2027.

A California startup will operate its first astronaut mission next year, if all goes according to plan. NASA announced on Thursday (Feb. 12) that it has picked Long Beach-based Vast to conduct the sixth private astronaut flight to the International Space Station (ISS), which…

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Europe's most powerful rocket launches for 1st time, carrying 32 Amazon internet satellites to orbit.

Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket just notched another milestone. The most powerful version of the Ariane 6 — known as the 64, because it sports four strap-on solid rocket boosters — lifted off for the first time ever today (Feb. 12). The Ariane 64 launched from Europe's S…

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Vulcan Centaur rocket launches 'neighborhood watch' satellites for the US military.

A Vulcan Centaur rocket launched a pair of space surveillance satellites for the U.S. military early Thursday morning (Feb. 12). The Vulcan Centaur lifted off Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 4:22 a.m. EST (0922 GMT), kicking off the USSF-87 mis…

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Figure Skater Wins Olympic Medal After Surviving 'Scary' Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis.

Canadian skater Piper Gilles cried and jumped with joy when she won a bronze medal in ice dance at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, a triumph that came just three years after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She said she never could have envisioned the moment wh…

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Artemis 2 rocket photobombs SpaceX Crew-12 | Space photo of the day for Feb. 13, 2026.

Two crew-worth spacecraft appear to sit side by side on their rockets in this NASA picture captured at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one bound for low-Earth orbit and the other for the far side of the moon. Why is it amazing? The photo was captured on Feb. 11, as Space…

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Did the Viking missions discover life on Mars 50 years ago? These scientists think so.

NASA's Viking missions to Mars may have discovered evidence for life on the Red Planet after all, according to scientists who are seeking to correct what they believe to be a 50-year-old mistake that has led everybody to think that Mars is lifeless. Viking 1 and Viking 2…

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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Launches to International Space Station.

Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission launched at 5:15 a.m. EST Friday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled a Dragon spac…

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SpaceX launches Crew-12 astronauts to short-staffed International Space Station.

A quartet of astronauts have reached orbit and are on their way to support the skeleton crew of three left behind after the first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX launched the Crew-12 mission this morning here from Cape Canaveral Spa…

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Could the remains of a 'dead' comet still be in the solar system? Astronomers are still searching 6 years later.

The fate of a comet that was predicted to pass close to Earth remains a mystery five years after its dramatic breakup in the inner solar system — but some astronomers think a part of it might still be out there. In early 2020, astronomers discovered the icy traveler, known a…

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Spotify now has more than 750 million monthly users

Spotify announced Tuesday that it hit 751 million total monthly active users (MAUs) for quarter-four of 2025. That record-high is an 11 percent jump from the year before and a significant bump from the third quarter's 713 million MAUs. The quarterly earnings report also …

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James Webb Space Telescope uncovers secret supermassive black holes that escape traditional detection.

Woven through the universe are forces, often unseen, that dictate its grand design. For example, at the very heart of nearly every galaxy, we find a supermassive black hole. This isn't just some cosmic void — it's a powerful engine. Even in its quieter moments, this …

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Could the remains of a 'dead' comet still be in the solar system? Astronomers are still searching 6 years later.

The fate of a comet that was predicted to pass close to Earth remains a mystery five years after its dramatic breakup in the inner solar system — but some astronomers think a part of it might still be out there. In early 2020, astronomers discovered the icy traveler, known a…

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The US slips to its lowest-ever rank in a global corruption index.

The United States has fallen to its worst-ever position in a leading global index that measures perception of corruption in the public sector among independent experts and businesspeople. The world’s most powerful democracy last year slipped one notch to 29th place, out of 1…

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Nearby star's massive eruption could help astronomers unlock secret of superflares.

It's a tough trick to catch a cosmic firework just as it explodes. The universe is a really big place, full of transient events that flash into existence and then fade away quickly. We often see the aftermath, the lingering glow. But the very moment of ignition, that ini…

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Astrophotographer captures the 'Flaming Star Nebula' ablaze in deep-space.

Astrophotographer Greg Meyer has captured a magnificent view of the Flaming Star Nebula blazing in the night sky some 1,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer. Meyer's image appears to show a maelstrom of fire leaping away from the colossa…

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This supermassive black hole jet is more powerful than the Death Star's laser

A jet of charged particles moving at almost the speed of light, made from the remnants of a star that was brutally ripped apart by a supermassive black hole, has been found to be one of the most luminous, energetic events astronomers have ever witnessed in the universe. The …

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US athletes cheered, JD Vance booed during Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Team USA entered Friday's opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium on a chilly night in Milan to mark the symbolic start of the 2026 Winter Olympics. But unlike the weather, the Americans received a warm welcome. As U.S. Olympians walked into the stadium in matching Ralph La…

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On this day in space: Feb. 5, 1971: Apollo 14 lands on the moon.

On Feb. 5, 1971, two Apollo 14 astronauts landed on the moon! Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard and the lunar module pilot Edgar Mitchell left their crewmate Stuart Roosa in the command module and descended down to the moon in the lunar module Antares. Their descent was a litt…

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It's time to think about human reproduction in space, scientists urge.

As humanity moves from brief space missions toward longer stays — driven by commercial ambitions for moon bases and eventual Martian settlements — scientists are beginning to confront how the conditions of space may affect human reproduction. A new study argues that the abse…

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US Supreme Court allows pro-Democratic California voting map.

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed California on Wednesday to use a new electoral map designed to give Democrats five more congressional seats, improving the party's chances of regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives from President Donald Trump's Republic…

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