Namibian salt flats look like an alien planet | Space photo of the day for Oct. 12, 2026
Namibian salt flats look like an alien planet | Space photo of the day for Oct. 12, 2026

The Etosha Pan in northern Namibia, the largest salt flat in the country, looks otherworldly in this satellite photo.

UAE unveils lander for bold 7-asteroid mission set to launch in 2028 (photos)
UAE unveils lander for bold 7-asteroid mission set to launch in 2028 (photos)

In March 2028, the UAE is set to launch an ambitious mission to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that will culminate with a landing attempt on a mysteriously reddish space rock.

Mysterious 10-minute X-ray burst from a distant galaxy may have come from 2 dead stars colliding
Mysterious 10-minute X-ray burst from a distant galaxy may have come from 2 dead stars colliding

Astronomers investigating mysterious flashes of X-rays believe that these blasts could hide collisions between neutron stars, the events that forge elements like gold, silver, and platinum.

Scientists engineer microbe to help humanity settle Mars
Scientists engineer microbe to help humanity settle Mars

A new genetically engineered microbe may one day help humanity settle Mars, a nonprofit biotechnology research startup suggests.

James Webb Space Telescope helps detect the most distant Fast Radio Burst ever seen — and scientists are surprised by its source
James Webb Space Telescope helps detect the most distant Fast Radio Burst ever seen — and scientists are surprised by its source

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered the most distant Fast Radio Burst (FRB) ever, more than doubling the previous record.

Dawn breaks on Mars | Space photo of the day for Oct. 8, 2026
Dawn breaks on Mars | Space photo of the day for Oct. 8, 2026

NASA’s Curiosity rover recently captured a stunning panorama of a Martian mountain range bathed in golden early-morning light.

Astronomers watch ‘vampire’ star feeding on the stellar equivalent of 5 trillion quarter-pounder burgers every second
Astronomers watch ‘vampire’ star feeding on the stellar equivalent of 5 trillion quarter-pounder burgers every second

Astronomers have observed a stellar vampire feeding on a ‘failed star’ brown dwarf companion for the first time, and this will be a slow and gruesome death.

Astronomers detect most distant supermassive black hole-powered blazar ever: a cosmic beacon from the dawn of time
Astronomers detect most distant supermassive black hole-powered blazar ever: a cosmic beacon from the dawn of time

Astronomers have discovered the most distant and earliest blazar, an erupting supermassive black hole aiming its plasma jets directly at Earth.