Skywatching

The best accessories for your new astrophotography camera

By Tantse Walter published

These astrophotography camera accessories are worth adding to your setup in 2026.

Skywatching Kit
A photo of the Sony E 11m f/1.8 lens one of the best lenses for astrophotography in 2024

Best lenses for astrophotography 2026: the best glass you can get from Sony, Canon and Sigma

By Jase Parnell-Brookes last updated

Buying Guide We have rounded up the best lenses for astrophotography so you can capture detailed night sky shots with crystal clear stars.

Buying Guide
graphic with night sky in large font and silhouettes of people below looking up at the night sky.

Night sky for tonight (March 5): Hunt for zodiacal light in the western sky after sunset

By Jamie Carter last updated

Find out what you can see in the night sky for tonight, from planets and stars to dazzling meteor showers.

Stargazing
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Spaceflight

This is an image of Venus from Soviet Venera program probe Venera 14 taken in 1982. The Cyrillic text below the pictures reads: “Venera 14 brabotka IPPI AN SSSR TsDKS,”short for “Venera 14, Processing, Institute for Problems in Transmitting Information, Academy of Sciences, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Centre for Long-Distance Space Communications.”

On this day in space: March 5, 1982: Soviet Venera 14 probe lands on Venus

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

On March 5, 1982, the Soviet Union's Venera 14 spacecraft landed on Venus!

Space Exploration
a rocket's high-altitude plume is lit up in shades of blue and orange by the sun prior to sunrise.

SpaceX Starlink launch creates gorgeous 'jellyfish' in predawn Florida skies (video, photos)

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday (March 4), creating a sky show for early risers.

Launches & Spacecraft
a rocket viewed from below, with five cone-shaped nozzles in the foreground

Russia fixes launch pad damaged by Thanksgiving astronaut launch to the International Space Station

By Leonard David published

Russia has fixed Site 31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, the only pad supporting the nation's human spaceflight missions. It had been out of commission since late November.

International Space Station
a rocket launches on the left while many spacecraft occupy the lunar surface and space on the right.

NASA is overhauling its Artemis program. What does that mean for humanity's return to the moon?

By Josh Dinner published

In a major shakeup of the Artemis program, NASA is adding more missions to its timeline to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.

Artemis
a large orange rocket beside metal scaffolding on a wheeled platform rolls into a massive hangar building in front of a purple and orange sunset

NASA repairs Artemis 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch

By Mike Wall published

NASA has repaired its Artemis 2 rocket, apparently keeping things on track for a possible April launch of the first crewed moon mission in more than 50 years.

Artemis
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Science & Astronomy

Making hummus on the moon? Scientists just grew chickpeas in simulated lunar dirt

By Keith Cooper published

Tests involving growing chickpea plants in lunar regolith treated with vermicompost and fungi yielded harvestable crops — but are they edible?

The moon

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2026

By Tariq Malik, Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2026.

Reference
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Space Photo of the Day

an impressive red spiral structure with a bright point of light at the very center.

Spectacular spiral galaxy revealed by James Webb Space Telescope | Space photo of the day for March 4, 2026

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

The James Webb Space Telescope captured a stunning spiral galaxy 65 million light-years away, revealing glowing dust clouds and stellar nurseries.

James Webb Space Telescope
The spiral galaxy NGC 941 looks like a spinning cosmic wheel in new image from the Subaru Telescope

Spiral galaxy is a stunning cosmic wheel in head-turning image | Space photo of the day for March 3, 2026

By Robert Lea published

The galaxy NGC 941 was imaged by the Subaru Telescope at the summit of Maunakea, Hawai'i.

Galaxies
A white, glowing egg-shaped object lies in the centre of the black-and-white image, on a dark, starry background. Glowing streaks spread upwards from the object. In the top left, a yellow arrow marked ‘Sun’ points straight down, and a blue arrow marked ‘Velocity’ points towards the 7 o’clock direction. In the bottom left, an inset shows the same object on a lighter grey starry background, filled with ragged-edged, concentric egg shapes gradiented black-to-white

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS shines in new image | Space photo of the day for March 2, 2026

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

The JUICE spacecraft captured its first detailed glimpse of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing a glowing coma and sweeping tail.

Galaxies
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Entertainment

Five sci-fi characters in blue uniforms

'Starfleet Academy' creators talk bringing a 20th-century American play into 32nd-century 'Star Trek' (Interview)

By Jeff Spry published

'We're about to have an insanely adrenalized ride these last two episodes.'

Space Movies & Shows
a portion of a sci-fi movie poster using a rainbow effect

60 years of 'Star Trek': The colorful origins of the rainbow warp effect

By Jeff Spry published

'Starfleet Academy' sports a cool 60th anniversary intro honoring this colorful optical effect.

Space Movies & Shows
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What's Up In Space Today

Search For Life

a rust orange yellow sky and landscape features a rocky surface in the foreground, with a large pointed hill beyond.

'War of the Worlds' in reverse? Mars dirt could help fight off a microbial invasion from Earth

By Keith Cooper published

Tests conducted with tardigrades suggest that there is something in Martian dirt that dramatically reduces biological activity.

Search for Life
a man in a blue suit with a yellow tie speaks into a microphone in a richly decorated room

Trump says US government will declassify its UFO files. Will we actually learn anything this time, or is this a distraction?

By Brett Tingley published

President Donald Trump has issued a statement that he will instruct the federal government to begin releasing all of its files related to UFOs.

Search for Life
The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite captured its first view of the entire sunlit side of Earth from one million miles away on July 6, 2015.

Life on Earth is lucky: A rare chemical fluke may have made our planet habitable

By Samantha Mathewson published

Life on Earth may exist thanks to an incredible stroke of luck — a chemical sweet spot that most planets miss during their formation but ours managed to hit.

Search for Life
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Technology

a swarm of missiles with wings fly above the ocean while firing other, smaller missiles

The US Air Force's latest X-plane looks like a missile  —  that shoots other missiles

By Julian Dossett published

The U.S. military is developing a new experimental aircraft known as the X-68A and looks a lot like a cruise missile that is also capable of launching its own missiles.

Aerospace

Herhoter Galaxy star projector review

By Kim Snaith published

With a small form factor and a seriously low price, the Herhoter Galaxy star projector is a great buy for anyone wanting nebula projections on a budget.

Technology
Best beginner drones being flown by a child

Best beginner drones 2026: Take to the skies for the first time

By James Abbott last updated

Our picks of the best beginner drones are all easy to use but still offer excellent flying experiences with a good range of features, from brands including DJI and Potensic.

Drones
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