Sun | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/sun/RSS feed for SunenThu, 13 Aug 2026 17:38:44 +0000An Aerospace Startup Just Got Approval to Test Beaming Sunlight to Earth. Here's Why Experts Are Worried—and Petitioninghttps://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/See Magnificent Photos of the Total Solar Eclipse Over Europe That Showcase the Sun's Beauty and the Wonder of Skywatchinghttps://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/NASA Completes Daring 'Big Bang' Fix on the Voyager 2 Probe, Allowing It to Keep Studying Interstellar Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-completes-daring-big-bang-fix-on-the-voyager-2-probe-allowing-it-to-keep-studying-interstellar-space-180989312/Scientists swapped three of the probe’s heating devices for ones that use less energy, and they might do the same with Voyager 1. Both spacecraft launched almost 50 years agoWed, 12 Aug 2026 20:09:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-completes-daring-big-bang-fix-on-the-voyager-2-probe-allowing-it-to-keep-studying-interstellar-space-180989312/Stunning New Images Reveal Whirlpools on the Sun's Surface. The Swirling Structures Might Help Power Solar Flareshttps://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/How to Watch the Total Solar Eclipse on a Livestream, Witnessing the Rare View of the Sun's Corona From Your Own Homehttps://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/'Like a Hole in the Universe': Artemis 2 Astronaut Victor Glover Reflects on Seeing a Total Solar Eclipse While Flying by the Moonhttps://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/A Little-Known Photographer Captured the First Clear Image of a Total Solar Eclipse 175 Years Ago. Today, These Celestial Events Still Reveal the Mysteries of the Sunhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-little-known-photographer-captured-the-first-clear-image-of-a-total-solar-eclipse-175-years-ago-today-these-celestial-events-still-reveal-the-mysteries-of-the-sun-180989208/Ever since that first daguerreotype on a light-sensitive metal plate, eclipse observations have continued to unveil the star's corona and bring people together to experience the solar system's majestyTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:40:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-little-known-photographer-captured-the-first-clear-image-of-a-total-solar-eclipse-175-years-ago-today-these-celestial-events-still-reveal-the-mysteries-of-the-sun-180989208/