Ceres’ Surface Is Much More Complex Than Previously Thought
The long, puzzling dwarf planet Ceres, in reality the first named asteroid, has surface features that are much more complex than previously thought. Or at least that’s the conclusion of a recent paper given at the recent European Geosciences Union 2026 General Assembly in Vienna. New data analysis from NASA’s Dawn mission points to a […]
Are the JWST’s Early Overrmassive Black Holes Just Normal-Range Outliers?
Ever since the JWST revealed a population of SMBH in the early Universe that were overmassive, scientists have been working hard to explain them. These black holes existed when the Universe was only about 2 billion years old, during Cosmic Noon, and according to our models of black hole growth, there simply wasn’t enough time […]
Astrobiology’s Looming Statistical Crisis
Multi-billion dollar space telescope programs aren’t only feats of aerospace engineering. They also feature “lies, damn lies, and statistics”. Or at least statistics. They definitely feature those, as does all good observational astronomy. The problem with statistics is, in order to get a clear definitive answer, you need lots of samples. And, to put it […]
The Filamentary Funnels That Form Stars
Stars form inside giant molecular clouds (GMCs), vast collections of mostly atomic hydrogen. This happens in the densest, coldest regions of the clouds, where gas more easily accumulates. But the star formation process isn’t efficient, and astrophysicists want to know why that is. When describing star formation in these clouds, scientists work with a concept […]
SpaceX launches 50th Starlink mission of 2026
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Station on the Starlink 17-41 mission on May 30, 2026. Image: SpaceX Update May 30, 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 UTC): SpaceX confirms deployment of the 24 Starlink satellites. SpaceX launched its 50th dedicated Starlink mission of 2026 with […]
ULA launches 29 Amazon Leo satellites on Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 551 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Leo Atlas 07 mission on May 29, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance overcame adverse weather conditions to launch a batch of Amazon Leo’s broadband internet satellites on its Atlas 5 […]
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket explodes during prelaunch testing at Cape Canaveral
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded on the pad at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as the result of an anomaly during a static fire test on Thursday, May 28. The test was in preparation for a planned launch as soon as June 4. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now A Blue Origin […]
SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 10-53 mission on May 29, 2026. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now SpaceX launched its penultimate planned flight in May, sending its Falcon 9 rocket flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday morning. The Starlink […]