Comet Leonard is at its closest to Earth right now. Here’s how to spot it.

Comet Leonard, the brightest comet of the year, made its closest approach to Earth today (Dec. 12) and should be visible through binoculars and telescopes, weather permitting. Officially known as Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard), Comet Leonard was discovered in January by astronomer Gregory J. Leonard of the Mount Lemmon Infrared Observatory in Arizona. On Sunday, it … Read more

Europe’s Mars orbiter relays data from Chinese rover back to Earth

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express collected data from China’s Zhurong Mars rover and successfully sent it to Earth following a series of experimental communications tests. The Zhurong rover was designed only to communicate with its companion orbiter, Tianwen 1; however, the rover has long outlived its planned mission and the orbiter is no longer … Read more

How changing levels of iron shaped the evolution of life on Earth — and why alien hunters should take note

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Hal Drakesmith, Professor of Iron Biology, University of Oxford Jon Wade, Associate Professor of Planetary Materials, University of Oxford Our red blood is full of iron. We need iron for growth and for immunity. It is even added … Read more

Just Look at These Stunning Photos of Jupiter’s Giant Storms

The latest images from the Juno mission at Jupiter include views of giant storms and vortexes on the gas giant world in amazing detail. A new batch of images recently arrived at Earth from JunoCam, the visible light camera onboard the Juno spacecraft. The camera has provided stunning views of Jupiter since the spacecraft’s arrival in 2016. … Read more