Data from the SLIM mission projected at JAXA’s Sagamihara Campus during the craft’s landing.
AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
Japan is one of several countries that weren’t part of the space race of the 1950s and 1960s looking toward the Moon. They’ve now become the 5th country to have landed on its surface.
Illustration of the Japanese moon
lander separating in orbit.
JAXA
Japan’s space agency is landing its first lunar probe this week. This makes the Moon an increasingly busy target for spacefaring nations – with conflicting political stances among them.
The Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft. The successful Artemis I mission was the first in an increasingly complex planned series of missions, which have now been delayed.
(NASA/Cory Huston)
NASA announced that the next two Artemis missions — Artemis II and III — will be delayed for safety reasons. However, Artemis IV remains on schedule.
In primary production, inorganic carbon is used to build the organic molecules life needs.
(Shutterstock)
Over two billion years from now, Earth will no longer be able to sustain life. A new study looks at how much life has ever existed and what this means for the discovery of new life-supporting planets.
Nearby planets can affect how one planet ‘wobbles’ on its spin axis, which contributes to seasons.
Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library via Getty Images
You might hate winter, but at least you know what to expect every year. Other planets have wobbly axes that lead to wild, unpredictable seasons.
Photograph: Nasa (Goddard Space Flight Center)
The Peregrine and Nova-C landers are due to carry out valuable science at two diverse lunar locations.
Thirdman/Pexels
A telescope can reveal so much of the night sky, including Saturn’s rings and the Moon’s craters. But choosing the right telescope is a difficult decision – here’s what you need to know.
A sunspot emitting a flare on the surface of the sun.
(NASA/GSFC/Solar Dynamics Observatory)
The sun is expected to reach its solar maximum in 2025. Recent auroras suggest that the maximum may be bigger than predicted.
NASA isn’t the only space agency with exciting missions to watch for in 2024.
AP Photo/John Raoux
Expect lots of space missions to launch this coming year, with exciting new science to follow.
Black holes use gravity to pull matter into them.
NASA/Chandra X-ray Observatory/M.Weiss via AP
Pictures of black holes have a white outline around them when photographed, due to one of black holes’ unique and key features.
NASA rocket launched from the Arnhem Space Centre in NT on June 26 2022.
NASA Wallops/Brian Bonsteel
Despite what you may think, Australia has a long history of space activities. But this is the first time the Australian public has been asked its opinions on space.
The Moon, shot from Pakistan during a lunar eclipse.
AP Photo/Fareed Khan
Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on the Moon made 2023 a big year for lunar exploration, and future years will come with even more discoveries.
Shutterstock
The Geminids meteor shower this year promises to be extra special as the peak of the falls at New Moon.
Scientists still debate the origins of Earth’s life-sustaining elements.
BlackJack3D/E+ via Getty Images
Scientists analyzing isotope ratios have found that many of the elements that make up life could be left over from Earth’s formation.
The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder in the Western Australian desert.
CSIRO
Do all big black holes in very massive galaxies emit radio waves? We used the latest radio telescopes to find out.
NASA
Sixty years ago, philosopher Hannah Arendt argued an interplanetary perspective may be bad news for humanity as we know it.
Matter in deep space is very spread out, which makes it impossible for any sound waves to travel.
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Sound needs matter to propagate, so the vast vacuum of space is not just empty − it’s silent.
LHS 3154b, a newly discovered massive planet that should be too big to exist.
The Pennsylvania State University
A newly discovered planet that should be too big to have formed around a tiny star is throwing into question what researchers know about planet formation.
Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system.
NASA/JPL
Five of the Uranus moons might be ocean worlds − and if there’s water, there might be life.
The restored image of Earthrise. A high quality black and white image was coloured using hues from the original colour photos.
Image Credit: NASA, Apollo 8 Crew, Bill Anders; Processing and License: Jim Weigang
Borman’s professionalism helped the risky Apollo 8 mission become a success.