SpaceX Satellites Have Invaded Astronomers’ Views of The Sky, And It’s Getting Worse

With the rapid expansion of commercial space, there is a growing number of satellites in orbit around our planet. Most of these are in low-Earth orbit, which is becoming increasingly crowded.   This has led some to be concerned about a catastrophic rise of space debris, as well as a growing frustration by astronomers due … Read more

The Flame Nebula Blazes Like a Cosmic Bonfire in This Stunning New Image

A new image of the Flame Nebula shows the interstellar cloud as we’ve never seen it before. A team of astronomers using the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope has captured the star-forming region in radio wavelengths, revealing details that we had never seen before.   The Flame Nebula, which is close to the famous Horsehead … Read more

Sucking DNA Out of The Sky Could Help Us to Identify And Save Endangered Species

The air around us carries detectable traces of animals living in our midst, scientists have found, and the discovery stands to revolutionize the way researchers monitor and track populations of vulnerable or endangered species.   In two new studies conducted by separate teams of scientists, researchers discovered that environmental DNA (eDNA) shed by living creatures … Read more

The Tiny Dots in This Image Aren’t Stars or Galaxies. They’re Black Holes

The image above may look like a fairly normal picture of the night sky, but what you’re looking at is a lot more special than just glittering stars. Each of those white dots is an active supermassive black hole.   And each of those black holes is devouring material at the heart of a galaxy … Read more

The best night sky events to see in 2022

Another year of skywatching is upon us, and there’s a lot to look forward to in 2022! Here are some of the more noteworthy sky events that will take place this upcoming year. Space.com’s Night Sky column will provide more extensive coverage of most of these events as they draw closer.  Mid-February to mid-March: The … Read more

Best night sky events of January 2022 (stargazing maps)

See what’s up in the night sky for January 2022, including stargazing events and the moon’s phases, in this Space.com gallery courtesy of Starry Night Software. Related: Space calendar 2022: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more Saturday, Jan. 1 — The inner planets dance (after sunset) (Image credit: Starry Night) To kick off 2022, … Read more

The brightest planets in January’s night sky: How to see them (and when)

The new year begins with four of the five naked-eye planets strung out along a crooked diagonal line measuring nearly 40 degrees above the south-southwest horizon an hour after sunset.  Your clenched fist held at arm’s length measures 10 degrees, so these four planets — in this order: Venus, Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter — will … Read more

Astronomers See Black Hole Jets Blaze 16x Wider Than The Full Moon in Our Sky

Astronomers have captured a breathtaking radio wave image, showing our closest radio active black hole spewing out massive jets of plasma that span more than 16 times the size of the full moon in our sky.   The supermassive black hole in question is located in the center of the galaxy Centaurus A around 12 … Read more