WELCOME

ISSUE 160

Mars Express takes a deep dive into an ancient lake

7 August 2024

Hubble spots a stunning spiral galaxy shining in the ‘Little Lion’

26 July 2024

Ghostly ‘zodiacal light’ glows above the Very Large Telescope in Chile

29 July 2024

Jupiter’s surreal clouds swirl in a new view from NASA’s Juno probe

19 July 2024

NASA may use lasers to livestream from the Moon one day

Instant communication with Earth could make trips to

Drugs can partially prevent muscle loss caused by microgravity

Astronauts experience significant muscle loss as a result

A newly found star 30 times the size of the Sun has an unexpected chemical composition

J0524-0336 has an unexpected amount of lithium Astronomers

SpaceX refutes reports that its Starship launchpad system polluted Texas waters

Starbase was established in 2014 and hosts one

An ocean’s worth of water may be buried within Mars, but can we get to it?

Enough water to cover the surface of Mars

Weird ‘watermelonshaped’ asteroids like Dimorphos and Selam may finally have an explanation

Most ‘moonlet’ asteroids are shaped like upright rugby

WIN A CELESTRON NEXSTAR 4SE WORTH OVER £599

This fantastic computerised telescope is up for grabs this month

DARK ENERGY

THE MOST DOMINANT FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE IS ALSO ITS MOST MYSTERIOUS AND MOST UNANTICIPATED

SPACE DELIVERY SERVICE

A same-day delivery system for sending kit from the International Space Station back to Earth

BOEING NEEDS TO IMPROVE QUALITY CONTROL ON THE SLS MOON ROCKET

The NASA Inspector General’s report finds serious quality-control issues affecting the upgraded version and expects cost overruns and delays

A NASA TELESCOPE MAY HAVE FOUND ANTIMATTER ANNIHILATING IN POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST EXPLOSION SINCE THE BIG BANG

The massive explosion was captured in 2022

NASA’S PERSEVERANCE ROVER FINDS POSSIBLE SIGNS OF ANCIENT RED PLANET LIFE

Further analysis is needed, but a rock contains potential evidence that life once existed on Mars in the distant past

INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL

AND HOW TO BECOME A SPACE TOURIST

SPACE IS BECOMING AN UNSUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT IN THE LONG TERM

Overall, the ESA’s latest report is full of bad news for Earth orbit

WHEN BLACK HOLES TURN WHITE

Can bouncing black holes help physicists find the ultimate theory of everything?

THE MOON’S THIN ATMOSPHERE IS MADE BY CONSTANT METEORITE BOMBARDMENT

While the solar wind also contributes to the atmosphere, meteorites are the main culprit

WHY IS VENUS SO DRY?

A new study reckons the answer lies high in the Venusian atmosphere

NASA SHUTS DOWN ITS NEOWISE ASTEROID HUNTER AFTER ALMOST 15 YEARS IN SPACE

The mission has helped lay the foundations for its successor in the field of planetary defence

Do stars smaller than the Sun generally host smaller planets than the ones in the Solar System?

Planets form from the constant accumulation of material

Why does Jupiter have different coloured bands?

The zones and bands of Jupiter have been

How much does it cost to send someone into space?

The answer depends on how you get there,

What is the cosmic gorilla effect?

SETI is a continuous struggle as astronomers look

What is the ‘circumgalactic medium’?

Galaxies are encased in a halo of gas

Could there be another Space Race?

I believe we’re already seeing another Space Race,

Why are there no gas moons?

The moons in the Solar System are

SATURN THREW A COMET OUT OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Comet A117uUD is about to go interstellar after an encounter with the gas giant

15 AUTUMN STARGAZING TARGETS

Go on a night-sky treasure hunt as the brighter evenings give way to the cooler months

MAGNETIC FIELDS ON THE SUN COULD SOLVE A LONG-STANDING SOLAR HEATING MYSTERY

Scientists still aren’t sure why the corona is so much hotter than the Sun’s surface

“This is how we get to Mach 3”

Jameel Janjua made it to the bitter end in a Canadian government astronaut selection in 2009, but wasn’t chosen. He found a different path to space through Virgin Galactic

WHAT’S IN THE SKY?

What to look out for during this observing period

THIS MONTH’S PLANETS

Mars takes pride of place in the night sky and is easy to find for morning stargazers

ALBATEGNIUS

Gaze down into an ancient walled plain that puts some of the Moon’s better known features to shame

NAKED EYE AND BINOCULAR TARGETS

How to spot bright stars, weird stars and dead stars in the sky…

TACKLE THE SIGHTS OF THE GREAT SQUARE

Hidden treasures wait to be found in and around a feature of Pegasus

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

The evenings are longer, meaning you don’t need to stay up late to enjoy a whole host of night-sky objects

CANON EOS 6D MARK II

Is this the perfect companion for enthusiast photographers looking to make their first break into the full-frame world?

RED-LIGHT HEADLAMPS

Here’s our round-up of the best headlamps to keep your hands free and give you visibility in the dark

THE APOLLO 1 CREW

These heroes met a tragic fate in the name of progress