1+ day, 14+ min ago   (1007+ words) These extraordinary images from orbit reveal our planet, and the cosmos beyond, from a perspective few humans ever experience For more than two decades, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have enjoyed one of the most extraordinary views imaginable…...

4+ day, 22+ hour ago   (587+ words) Analysis of 79 ‘solar twins’ suggests we’re different – but not special We’re not special. If astronomy has taught us anything over the last few centuries, it’s this: rather than being the centre of the Universe, we live on a perfectly everyday…...

6+ day, 2+ hour ago   (1148+ words) The 'robed statue of a female figure' on Mars was spotted by the Spirit rover on the Red Planet in 2007 Of all the strange, creepy visions captured throughout humanity's exploration of the Universe, one of the most hair-raising has to…...

6+ day, 3+ hour ago   (461+ words) Planetary defence scientists caught an asteroid smashing into Earth off the coast of Australia this week – and only had a 6-hour warning that it would impact. On Sunday, September 6, 2026, automated tracking telescopes at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, USA picked…...

1+ week, 2+ hour ago   (281+ words) Chinese probe takes a picture of the ‘quasi-satellite’ Kamoʻoalewa near Earth China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft has returned the first-ever close-range images of our planet’s ‘mini moon’ Kamoʻoalewa, after closing to within 20km (12 miles) of the space rock. Tianwen-2 was launched on 28 May…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (640+ words) Is human spaceflight a waste of money and resources? In his book Lunacy, philosopher Ben Bramble considers 10 ‘false’ pledges of the new Space Age – this era of Blue Origin, SpaceX and private entities aspiring to see millions of humans not…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (1256+ words) The strangest sights captured on the Red Planet over the years and what they really are At the turn of the 19th century, American businessman turned amateur astronomer Percival Lowell created a controversy that was to rage for nearly half a…...

2+ week, 6+ hour ago   (1280+ words) Our Solar System is constantly changing and evolving. Jane Green looks at the big upheavals and threats that lie in store for our planetary neighbourhood in the aeons ahead As the late ex-Beatle George Harrison wrote, “All things must pass…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago   (436+ words) How to see today's blood Moon lunar eclipse If you're out looking at the lunar eclipse this morning – or tonight, depending on where you're observing from – here are some quick tips to help you make the most of it. The…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago   (949+ words) The shadow of Earth during lunar eclipses proves that Earth isn't a flat disc, but is instead a round, spherical object As you’re probably aware by now, there’s a lunar eclipse coming up this week on 27/28 August (depending on where…...