News

SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy rocket launch for 1st time in over a year

By Mike Wall last updated 29 April 26

SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time in 18 months on Wednesday morning (April 29), delivering the ViaSat-3 F3 communications satellite into geostationary orbit.

On this day in space! April 29, 1985: European 'Spacelab' launches on space shuttle Challenger

By Hanneke Weitering last updated 29 April 26

On April 29, 1985, the European Space Agency's Spacelab launched on the space shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51B.

The cosmos wears a galactic sombrero | Space photo of the day for April 29, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published 29 April 26

The Sombrero galaxy's name fits perfectly.

A stray SpaceX rocket stage could slam into the moon this August, amateur astronomer says

By Leonard David published 29 April 26

Earth's moon is to be on the receiving end of a spent rocket stage in early August - the leftovers from a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch last year.

Help scientists find spacetime warps in these Euclid Space Telescope images

By Samantha Mathewson published 29 April 26

A new citizen science project invites the public to scan never-before-seen images from the Euclid Space Telescope in search of galaxies bending spacetime.

What is quantum gravity? Scientists think it could explain the beginning of our universe

By Robert Lea published 29 April 26

A new recipe of "quadratic gravity" could help to better define the picture of the Big Bang and the singularity that existed prior to the dawn of time.

Is Tatooine the norm? Planets may prefer living with two suns instead of one

By Sharmila Kuthunur published 29 April 26

New simulations suggest binary star systems may be ideal for planet formation, and may produce more gas giants than single-star systems.

Aurora forecast April 29 — Northern lights could build tonight as solar wind speeds increase

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated 29 April 26

The latest aurora forecast for tonight helps you make sure you're in the right place at the right time to see the northern lights.

Starbirth shuts down 40,000 light-years from the Milky Way's core — and astronomers don't know why

By Keith Cooper published 28 April 26

Astronomers have found the boundary of star formation in the Milky Way's spiral disk — and it's not as far out from the center of our galaxy as you might imagine.

NASA chief Jared Isaacman says he's fighting for Pluto: 'I am very much in the camp of 'make Pluto a planet again'

By Mike Wall published 28 April 26

Should Pluto be a bona fide planet again? NASA is working to "revisit the discussion" on Pluto's planethood status, according to agency chief Jared Isaacman.