Space
Detecting whispers from the early universe … from the moon
A tiny UK satellite called CosmoCube is to listen for signals from the early universe. It will use the dark side of the moon to block out noise from Earth.
Sun
Sun news: Two M flares… and a huge solar spider?
Sun news August 20, 2026: Sun news August 20, 2026: Two M flares! Plus, a stunning spider-like prominence danced on the horizon.
Astronomy Essentials
Tonight

Visible planets and night sky guide for August

Visible planets and night sky guide: The moon floats near red Antares this evening. And see a video about the lunar eclipse coming up on August 27-28.
Space

Voyager 2 spacecraft launched 49 years ago today

Voyager 2 realized the vision of what was originally called a Grand Tour of the outer solar system. It is the only craft that has visited all 4 outer planets.
Constellations

Sagitta the Arrow lies inside the Summer Triangle

Sagitta the Arrow is a dim constellation that lies inside the Summer Triangle. It contains one Messier object, a small globular cluster.
Space

Mission to save Swift spacecraft fails, will crash back to Earth

NASA said on August 19, 2026, the mission to save the Swift spacecraft will not work after attitude control issues. Swift will crash back to Earth this year.
Today's Image

See the August 12 solar eclipse from the moon’s perspective

Korean's lunar orbiter, Danuri, captured a view of the solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. This unique perspective includes the moon's limb in the foreground.
Space

Super-Earths might be solid deep on the inside

Super-Earths might be solid in their deep insides, a new study says. Minerals might take unusual forms and remain solid despite the intense heat and pressure.
Clusters Nebulae Galaxies

The Great Rift is a dark swath in the Milky Way

The Great Rift or Dark Rift is a darkened swath of the Milky Way where new stars are forming. It's best seen from a rural location away from light pollution.
Constellations

Is Ophiuchus the 13th constellation of the zodiac?

The sun passes through Ophiuchus for about 2 weeks every year, so why isn’t this constellation considered the zodiac’s 13th sign?