https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/astronomy/RSS feed for AstronomyenSun, 30 Aug 2026 11:26:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launches-to-find-exoplanets-and-unravel-mysteries-of-dark-matter-and-dark-energy-180989268/The new observatory will complete three surveys of the universe in five years, although it's designed to function at least twice as long. Its data could change scientists' basic understanding of the cosmosSun, 30 Aug 2026 11:26:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launches-to-find-exoplanets-and-unravel-mysteries-of-dark-matter-and-dark-energy-180989268/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-star-orbits-our-galaxys-heart-at-a-record-breaking-speed-and-could-help-uncover-secrets-about-the-behemoth-black-hole-there-180989393/The speedster travels at up to 56 million miles per hour, or about 8 percent the speed of light. It also gets very close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky WayFri, 28 Aug 2026 15:45:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-star-orbits-our-galaxys-heart-at-a-record-breaking-speed-and-could-help-uncover-secrets-about-the-behemoth-black-hole-there-180989393/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turn-your-eyes-to-the-night-skies-this-week-to-see-a-near-total-lunar-eclipse-itll-temporarily-turn-the-moon-red-180989404/During the peak, 96 percent of the moon will be within the darkest part of our planet's shadow. The orb will take on an eerie glow because of how sunlight gets filtered through Earth's atmosphereWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:57:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turn-your-eyes-to-the-night-skies-this-week-to-see-a-near-total-lunar-eclipse-itll-temporarily-turn-the-moon-red-180989404/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-telescope-still-under-construction-accidentally-reveals-how-a-dying-star-returns-matter-to-space-180989349/Researchers captured an unprecedented image of the stellar recycling process while calibrating a Chile-based instrument called MOTHRA, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-telescope-still-under-construction-accidentally-reveals-how-a-dying-star-returns-matter-to-space-180989349/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/once-the-solar-systems-ninth-planet-pluto-was-reclassified-20-years-ago-heres-why-planetary-scientists-and-the-public-alike-love-the-small-icy-body-180989383/Pluto is now the most well known of the outer worlds beyond Neptune—and the darling of the solar systemMon, 24 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/once-the-solar-systems-ninth-planet-pluto-was-reclassified-20-years-ago-heres-why-planetary-scientists-and-the-public-alike-love-the-small-icy-body-180989383/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-funded-mission-to-rescue-a-falling-space-telescope-officially-ends-in-failure-180989376/The commercial LINK spacecraft was supposed to give NASA's Swift observatory a boost, pushing it higher into orbit to extend its life. But after launch, LINK experienced several problems. Swift is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up by the end of this yearThu, 20 Aug 2026 19:35:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-funded-mission-to-rescue-a-falling-space-telescope-officially-ends-in-failure-180989376/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-galaxy-in-the-early-universe-with-three-behemoth-black-holes-180989344/The galaxy’s light took about 12.5 billion years to reach the James Webb Space Telescope, meaning the instrument saw the black holes a little more than one billion years after the Big Bang. Two of the black holes seemed on track to merge, illustrating how the objects growMon, 17 Aug 2026 19:13:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-galaxy-in-the-early-universe-with-three-behemoth-black-holes-180989344/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-peered-at-the-early-universe-and-may-have-discovered-a-new-kind-of-celestial-object-black-hole-stars-180989334/Since the James Webb Space Telescope started collecting data in 2022, it has found puzzling objects dubbed little red dots. A new study suggests they might be giant black holes with some characteristics of starsFri, 14 Aug 2026 15:47:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-peered-at-the-early-universe-and-may-have-discovered-a-new-kind-of-celestial-object-black-hole-stars-180989334/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-aerospace-startup-just-got-approval-to-test-beaming-sunlight-to-earth-heres-why-experts-are-worried-and-petitioning-180989323/By 2035, Reflect Orbital aims to launch up to 50,000 satellites equipped with mirrors to provide sunlight to Earth-based solar panels. Critics are concerned about impacts on wildlife, astronomy research and human healthThu, 13 Aug 2026 17:38:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-aerospace-startup-just-got-approval-to-test-beaming-sunlight-to-earth-heres-why-experts-are-worried-and-petitioning-180989323/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-magnificent-photos-of-the-total-solar-eclipse-over-europe-that-showcase-the-suns-beauty-and-the-wonder-of-skywatching-180989325/The moon’s shadow swept over Earth on Wednesday, captivating millions across the planet. It was the first total solar eclipse since the North American eclipse of April 2024Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-magnificent-photos-of-the-total-solar-eclipse-over-europe-that-showcase-the-suns-beauty-and-the-wonder-of-skywatching-180989325/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunning-new-images-reveal-whirlpools-on-the-suns-surface-the-swirling-strutures-might-help-power-solar-flares-180989292/Observed directly in the solar photosphere for the first time, the vortices might braid magnetic fields, thought to be responsible for energy buildups and eventual outbursts. The features also offer clues about why the sun’s outer atmosphere is millions of degrees hotter than its surfaceWed, 12 Aug 2026 18:19:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunning-new-images-reveal-whirlpools-on-the-suns-surface-the-swirling-strutures-might-help-power-solar-flares-180989292/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-to-watch-the-total-solar-eclipse-on-a-live-stream-witnessing-the-rare-view-of-the-suns-corona-from-your-own-home-180989315/Wednesday’s eclipse will bring dark skies to parts of Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain. But with these online broadcasts, you can view the spectacle from anywhereTue, 11 Aug 2026 20:35:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-to-watch-the-total-solar-eclipse-on-a-live-stream-witnessing-the-rare-view-of-the-suns-corona-from-your-own-home-180989315/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-perseid-meteor-shower-peaks-this-week-amid-ideal-viewing-conditions-heres-how-to-watch-the-events-bright-shooting-stars-180989298/The much-anticipated annual event peaks on the night of August 12 into the next morning. This year, the moon won’t crash the party, as our natural satellite will be in its dark new moon phaseMon, 10 Aug 2026 18:32:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-perseid-meteor-shower-peaks-this-week-amid-ideal-viewing-conditions-heres-how-to-watch-the-events-bright-shooting-stars-180989298/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/like-a-hole-in-the-universe-artemis-2-astronaut-victor-glover-reflects-on-seeing-a-total-solar-eclipse-while-flying-by-the-moon-180989284/The four astronauts who rounded Earth’s natural satellite in April got an extremely rare view of the dark lunar disk blocking out the sun. Researchers say the observations provide unique scientific value for understanding our star’s mysteriesMon, 10 Aug 2026 14:11:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/like-a-hole-in-the-universe-artemis-2-astronaut-victor-glover-reflects-on-seeing-a-total-solar-eclipse-while-flying-by-the-moon-180989284/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-spacex-rocket-part-just-slammed-into-the-moon-creating-a-dust-plume-and-crater-heres-what-some-scientific-instruments-saw-180989299/The Korea Aerospace Research Institute captured before-and-after images of the impact site, and a telescope in Chile detected signs of the plume. However, no one was able to watch the collision liveFri, 07 Aug 2026 21:26:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-spacex-rocket-part-just-slammed-into-the-moon-creating-a-dust-plume-and-crater-heres-what-some-scientific-instruments-saw-180989299/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptune-may-have-once-witnessed-a-lunar-massacre-that-turned-its-original-moons-inside-out-180989266/A new study identifies an unexpected mineral in two of the planet’s inner moons, pointing to a destructive past in which a large object got pulled into the system and obliterated the former, larger satellitesWed, 05 Aug 2026 20:51:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptune-may-have-once-witnessed-a-lunar-massacre-that-turned-its-original-moons-inside-out-180989266/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-supermassive-black-hole-that-wandered-to-the-edge-of-its-galaxy-180989233/These giant celestial objects have mostly been identified at the centers of galaxies, where they're known to reside. But a recently discovered one—found because of the light emitted while it snacked on a star—appears to be more than 30,000 light-years from its host galaxy's heartTue, 04 Aug 2026 16:16:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-supermassive-black-hole-that-wandered-to-the-edge-of-its-galaxy-180989233/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-provide-the-best-evidence-yet-that-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-does-inded-have-a-long-theorized-stellar-companion-180989225/The research team is mostly convinced by the data, but they want to capture additional observations in 2027 to confirm what they've foundMon, 03 Aug 2026 20:07:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-provide-the-best-evidence-yet-that-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-does-inded-have-a-long-theorized-stellar-companion-180989225/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keep-eye-out-two-stellar-meteor-showers-peak-this-week-southern-delta-aquariids-alpha-capricornids-180989215/A nearly full moon may obscure the fireballs falling from the remains of two comets that passed through Earth's orbitTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:32:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keep-eye-out-two-stellar-meteor-showers-peak-this-week-southern-delta-aquariids-alpha-capricornids-180989215/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-this-giant-celestial-body-a-moon-a-planet-or-something-in-between-the-strange-object-calls-astrononomical-labels-into-question-180989183/The newly found object, estimated to be roughly as massive as Jupiter, orbits a brown dwarf—a "failed star"—which in turn circles a small star. For now, researchers are calling the puzzling body an "exosatellite"Fri, 24 Jul 2026 17:14:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-this-giant-celestial-body-a-moon-a-planet-or-something-in-between-the-strange-object-calls-astrononomical-labels-into-question-180989183/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/A-spacex-rocket-part-is-expected-to-smack-into-the-moon-in-august-highlighting-the-growing-problem-of-space-junk-180989173/The unintended event also creates an opportunity for scientists and skywatchers to witness lunar impact dynamics in real time, although the debris will hit a sunlit portion of the moon from the perspective of Earth, making it hard to seeWed, 22 Jul 2026 19:44:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/A-spacex-rocket-part-is-expected-to-smack-into-the-moon-in-august-highlighting-the-growing-problem-of-space-junk-180989173/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-life-exist-on-this-nearby-world-in-a-first-astronomers-find-an-atmosphere-on-an-earth-like-exoplanet-in-the-habitable-zone-180989149/While the celestial body seems to host three features that could make a livable environment—an atmosphere, a rocky composition and a temperature that could allow liquid water to sit on the surface—researchers have not currently detected any residentsTue, 21 Jul 2026 16:23:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-life-exist-on-this-nearby-world-in-a-first-astronomers-find-an-atmosphere-on-an-earth-like-exoplanet-in-the-habitable-zone-180989149/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-amateur-astronomer-using-google-maps-spotted-a-strange-indentation-it-turned-out-to-be-a-meteorite-crater-from-390-million-years-ago-180989158/Scientists confirmed the astronomer’s suspicions with an expedition to the site in Quebec. The discovery offers a rare case of a reported new crater turning out to be realTue, 21 Jul 2026 12:58:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-amateur-astronomer-using-google-maps-spotted-a-strange-indentation-it-turned-out-to-be-a-meteorite-crater-from-390-million-years-ago-180989158/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-meteorite-crashed-into-a-new-jersey-home-in-2024-now-scientists-say-it-contains-some-of-the-building-blocks-of-life-180989138/The Hillsborough meteorite belongs to a rare class of rocks from space, according to a new study. It holds amino acids and other organic compounds, as well as evidence of salty waterThu, 16 Jul 2026 20:04:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-meteorite-crashed-into-a-new-jersey-home-in-2024-now-scientists-say-it-contains-some-of-the-building-blocks-of-life-180989138/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-noticed-a-mysterious-spot-appearing-in-telescope-images-it-turned-out-to-be-the-faintest-exoplanet-ever-imaged-from-earth-180989133/The gas giant, called Beta Pictoris d, had been hiding in plain sight for more than a decade, until two independent teams verified its existenceWed, 15 Jul 2026 19:40:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-noticed-a-mysterious-spot-appearing-in-telescope-images-it-turned-out-to-be-the-faintest-exoplanet-ever-imaged-from-earth-180989133/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-find-sugar-in-the-space-between-stars-providing-new-clues-about-the-origins-of-life-on-earth-180989122/Sugars are crucial components of RNA and DNA, the basis of all known organisms alive today. In a new study, the sugar erythrulose was detected in a gas- and dust-filled cloud near the center of our Milky Way galaxyWed, 15 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-find-sugar-in-the-space-between-stars-providing-new-clues-about-the-origins-of-life-on-earth-180989122/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-sak-tahn-waax-a-maya-math-whiz-who-lived-more-than-1000-years-ago-and-left-behind-a-really-elegant-complex-formula-180989125/For the first time, archaeologists identified one of the culture’s famed Classic era mathematicians and astronomersWed, 15 Jul 2026 13:03:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-sak-tahn-waax-a-maya-math-whiz-who-lived-more-than-1000-years-ago-and-left-behind-a-really-elegant-complex-formula-180989125/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-planet-survived-the-death-of-its-star-the-james-webb-space-telescope-just-found-its-atmosphere-180989077/New observations of WD 1856 b, a gas giant closely orbiting a white dwarf, offer a preview of what could happen to Jupiter and Saturn after the sun dies in about five billion years.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:09:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-planet-survived-the-death-of-its-star-the-james-webb-space-telescope-just-found-its-atmosphere-180989077/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-ten-spectacular-images-from-this-years-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-contest-that-capture-the-wonders-of-the-universe-180989065/The pictures, on the competition's shortlist, reveal the remarkable celestial objects that lie above our heads, both in deep space and closer to homeMon, 06 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-ten-spectacular-images-from-this-years-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-contest-that-capture-the-wonders-of-the-universe-180989065/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-greatest-cosmic-movie-ever-made-the-worlds-largest-digital-camera-begins-a-historic-decade-long-survey-of-the-night-sky-180989059/After a year of testing, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has started capturing data as part of the much-anticipated Legacy Survey of Space and TimeWed, 01 Jul 2026 21:21:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-greatest-cosmic-movie-ever-made-the-worlds-largest-digital-camera-begins-a-historic-decade-long-survey-of-the-night-sky-180989059/