Did you miss the FOMO-inducing aurora borealis over the weekend? No need to wish upon a star. Astro enthusiasts have one final shot to see this cosmic fireworks display from certain regions across the US and Canada. “This is a prediction of the intensity and location of the aurora borealis tonight and tomorrow night over … Read more
At 8.15 a.m. on Jan. 28, 1986, New Hampshire social-studies teacher Christa McAuliffe sat with her six fellow astronauts ahead of the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger from Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Fla., when she was approached by support crew member Jonny Corlew. As a kid growing up in Indiana, Corlew often … Read more
Sounds like utter lunar-cy. As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) readies to return astronauts to the moon and convert the space rock into an orbital outpost, plans are apparently being mulled to build a train on its surface. “We want to build the first lunar railway system, which will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient … Read more
The truth is out there. People from the southwestern US to Scandinavia and the far reaches of Eastern Europe posted footage of an unidentified flying object they saw mysteriously coasting overhead in a spiral pattern Thursday evening. “Completely clear skies, and I see a super blurry white light (no flashes like a plane), coming straight … Read more
Far out. Shooting Star Vodka has given a whole new meaning to “on the rocks” — which is also how the makers suggest you drink it — by infusing its brew with a meteorite discovered in 1977. Other products have filtered through a meteorite, but Shooting Star Vodka is the first Ultra-Premium vodka to be … Read more
Lost — and found — in space. Thought misplacing your car keys was bad? A satellite called S73-7 that had been missing since the 1990s mysteriously turned up again this week, raising the question of how the Department of Defense lost the interstellar probe in the first place. “The S73-7 satellite has been rediscovered after … Read more
We may no longer have to fear unseen Empire State Building-sized space rocks passing within our orbit. Asteroid hunters have identified 27,500 overlooked near-Earth asteroids using cutting-edge tech that could potentially stave off armageddon in the future. Instead of stargazing with a traditional telescope, researchers devised a novel algorithm called Tracklet-less Heliocentric Orbit Recovery, or … Read more
This redefined a long-distance call. Earth just received a laser transmission from a world- (and perhaps universe) record-breaking 140 million miles away — which could have major implications for the future of space travel. However, this correspondence wasn’t extraterrestrial in origin: It was actually sent by NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which is currently located approximately 1.5 … Read more
Alien and conspiracy theorists showed up in full force last week after a weather modeling software “error” showed an anomaly the size of Texas moving up the African coastline while generating waves bigger than 80 feet high. Ventusky is an application that presents weather and meteorological data to allow people to monitor developments anywhere in the world. According to … Read more
Our solar system could eventually die by being ground into dust as it is pulled into the Sun when it becomes a white dwarf, scientists believe. That is if it hasn’t already been ‘eaten up’ by our expanding Sun. When our host star, the Sun, runs out of fuel, it will become a white dwarf, … Read more
A woman and her pet cat had their ashes blasted off into space. Elizabeth Garcia and her husband John spent a lot of their time traveling around the world, but never got the chance to visit space — until now. Elizabeth, born in St. Albans, had a heart condition that estimated she had two years … Read more
The highly anticipated solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, might offer some extra fireworks. It’s all thanks to a series of massive explosions that one solar physicist says could be visible during the lengthy daytime phenomena — it will be fully over western New York just after 2 p.m. — that will move across the … Read more
There’s no cap to the magic of mushrooms. One recent study found that three fungal strains removed potentially dangerous plastic particles from water. Fungi are also being used to create a novel burger with minimal processing. And “mycotecture” is gaining momentum — using mushrooms and other fungal materials for architectural purposes. In this form of … Read more
Research in the expanding field of space medicine has identified many ways in which a microgravity environment and other factors can meddle with the human body during space missions. A new study has added to the field by showing that astronauts are more likely to experience headaches in space than previously known. The study involved … Read more
This meal is out of this world. Having a Michelin-starred meal in space already would be an astronomical feat — and it comes at a sky-high price. SpaceVIP, one of the first luxury space-tourism companies, will host an immersive dining experience in space with Michelin-starred Denmark chef Rasmus Munk. Six explorers “will be making history … Read more
The sun started Sunday with a wild display, producing a strong M-Class flare and potentially causing radio blackouts. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction (SWPC) office said an impulsive M7.4 X-ray flare peaked at 8:13 a.m. EDT on Sunday. The flare was classified as an M7.4 flare. M is the second-most-intense type of flare, and the number … Read more
E.T.? More like U-Haul. A mysterious signal that for a decade was widely believed to be a sign of alien life most likely came from a noisy truck, researchers from Johns Hopkins University have revealed. Initially believed to be from a meteor fireball that shot out just north of Papua New Guinea in the southern … Read more
In “Space: The Longest Goodbye,” scientists researching the problems of long-term space exploration go where movies have gone before. Sending astronauts into hibernation to conserve scarce resources? Pairing them with an artificially intelligent entity that can act as a pal and sounding board? Screenwriters have tried these things already, with results probably best kept in … Read more
Not long into “Spaceman,” Adam Sandler’s new somber sci-fi space movie on Netflix, it becomes quite clear that it’s struggling to channel something greater, something better, something already respected. Sandler’s character, a Czech cosmonaut named Jakub, has spent many months alone in a ship investigating a mysterious purple cloud — alone except for an alien … Read more
This is no laughing matter. Adam Sandler reportedly suffered for his art while filming Netflix’s “Spaceman.” Director Johan Renck, 57, claimed Sandler, also 57, was in “significant pain” while shooting scenes in zero gravity for the sci-fi movie, which is now available on the streamer. Sandler “was on wires, which means that he’s kind of … Read more