1+ week, 6+ day ago  (863+ words) We’ve never needed good science more than we do right now. Support EarthSky in 2026 and help us keep it going strong. Just like those in our solar system, planets orbiting other stars come in a wide range of sizes and…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago  (705+ words) Ottewell’s Astronomical Calendar was popular as a printed book from 1974 to 2016. Thousands of sky-lovers in more than 100 countries purchased it. It took a hiatus beginning in 2017, but returned in 2023, in both printed and electronic formats. 2026 is the final year of…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago  (435+ words) Last June, we got our first look at what the Vera C. Rubin Observatory could do. We were wowed by images of galaxies floating in deep space and a video of thousands of never-before-seen asteroids. And now, on June 30, 2026, the Rubin…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago  (333+ words) Science matters. Wonder matters. You matter. Join our 2026 Donation Campaign today. The Euclid telescope’s normal target is the faraway galaxies in our distant universe. The goal of the mission is to track the expansion of the universe, and in so…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago  (598+ words) Donaldjohanson is an intriguing asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flew past Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025, and found that the 1/2 mile (800 m) diameter asteroid is elongated and shaped like a peanut. And now, astronomers…...

1+ mon, 5+ day ago  (915+ words) There’ve been a total of six robot rovers creeping across the surface of the world next door, Mars. Only two – Curiosity and Perseverance – are active today. But, in 2028, the Rosalind Franklin rover will join them. It’ll ride to Mars on…...

2+ mon, 5+ day ago  (314+ words) The Mars Perseverance rover has been exploring the red planet since its arrival in 2021. And on May 12, 2026, NASA released the 6th-ever selfie from Perseverance. In the image, it’s sitting atop a rocky outcrop nicknamed Arethusa. The sandy hills that mark…...

2+ mon, 3+ week ago  (541+ words) Scientists have long thought that there was once a lake, or series of lakes, in Gale crater, where the Curiosity rover has been exploring since 2012. Now, Curiosity has found even more evidence for that ancient lake. Intriguingly, on Earth, deposits…...

3+ mon, 3+ week ago  (554+ words) Moon base and Mars! This image is an artist’s concept of a proposed NASA moon base, illustrating a future lunar outpost. Image via NASA. Used with permission.NASA released this statement on the morning of March 24, 2026. Edits by EarthSky. If…...

4+ mon, 2+ day ago  (402+ words) The starshade would block the light coming from the star, allowing astronomers to use the telescope on the ground with the needed angular resolution and sensitivity to directly detect Earth-sized exoplanets. Laurence Tognetti wrote about the new starshade concept for…...