WELCOME

Issue 114

8 January 2021 Return to sender

© NASA This image captures the moment Northrop

Twisted space light could reveal brand-new physics

The CMB is a relic of the early

Broadcaster’s satellite fails in orbit

It’s not currently known what caused the failure

OSIRIS-REx to leave asteroid in May to deliver samples

NASA’s asteroid-sampling OSIRIS-REx probe will spend two extra

Extreme black holes probably have ‘hair’

Black holes may not be so simple after

Students help discover four new planets

Two Massachusetts school students – 16-year-old Kartik Pinglé

Martian mineral found in Antarctic ice

Scientists boring into ice have unearthed a mineral

SPAE WARS

IS PLANET EARTH READY FOR A COSMIC BATTLEGROUND?

WEIRD GAS GIANT HOLDS SOLAR SYSTEM’S SECRETS

A gigantic alien world’s long orbit may tell us more about the outer planets in our solar neighbourhood

ASTRONOMY WITHOUT A TELESCOPE

You don’t always need optical aid to see beautiful things in the night sky – just wrap up warm, go outside and look up

STARSHIP MISSION CONSTRUCTION KIT

SpaceX is building Starship specifically to reach Mars, but it could transform space travel as the first mass-produced spacecraft

“WE MIGHT HAVE TO RETHINK WHAT SCIENCE IS”

In his book Galileo’s Error, philosopher Philip Goff argues consciousness is everywhere. All About Space meets with the author to find out more

SIGNAL FROM PROXIMA CENTAURI

Could a recently detected signal from a nearby star system be from extraterrestrials?

DEATH FROM ABOVE CAN METEORITES KILL?

What are the chances of being struck by a falling piece of space rock?

The Milky Way

Our galactic home is constantly surprising us, and it hasn’t finished yet

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ARECIBO?

PUERTO  RICO’S HUGE TELESCOPE LIES IN RUINS, BUT IS THIS REALLY THE END?

NEW LAW PROTECTS APOLLO SITES FROM MOON MISSIONS

Future launches to the lunar surface will be required to leave these iconic locations untouched

Dark energy?

ARE THERE  OTHER KINDS OF

SUPER-EARTH SEEN ORBITING ONE OF OUR GALAXY’S OLDEST STARS

The new discovery has highlighted that the universe has been birthing rocky worlds for a long time

WHAT IS STEVE?

MYSTERIES  OF THE  UNIVERSE

ASK SPACE

Our experts answer your questions

What’s in the sky?

Red light friendly preserve your nigh read our

This month’s planets

As NASA’s Perseverance rover touches down on Mars this February, the Red Planet is also a great target for observers not long after sunset

Vallis Alpes:The Alpine Valley

Stare down into one of the Moon’s captivating crevices

Naked eye & binocular targets

The start of spring is one of the best times to wander around the wonders neighbouring the familiar stars of the Big Dipper

The Northern Hemisphere

The spring constellations are teeming with galaxies for deep-sky enthusiasts

Astroshots of the month

Get featured in All About Space by sending your astrophotography images to space@spaceanswers.com

Unistellar eVscope

Great for long-expos ure astrophotography, this computerised telescope provides superb views of the Solar System and bright deep-sky targets

In the shops

The latest books, apps, software, tech and accessories for space and astronomy fans alike

Dolores “Dee” O’Hara

NASA’s first aerospace nurse, O’Hara was instrumental in developing space nursing