Perseid meteor shower 2019: When and where to see it in the UK

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most dramatic things to see in the night sky between July and August.

This meteor shower is one of the highlights of the calendar due to its high hourly rate and bright meteors, caused by the Earth slamming into the debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in July and August every year. ... See more

In 2019 the Perseid meteor shower is active between 17th July and 24th August with the number of meteors increasing every night until it reaches a peak in mid-August after which it will tail off. This year the peak falls on the night of the 12th and before dawn on the 13th August. ... See more

TESS completes survey of southern sky, marking halfway mark of mission

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is halfway through its two-year primary mission and has completed its survey of the southern sky in its search for extrasolar planets. According to the space agency, the unmanned telescope has discovered 21 confirmed exoplanets and 850 candidates for further study. ... See more

NASA's TESS probe is halfway through its two-year primary mission and has completed its survey of the southern sky in its search for extrasolar planets. According to the space agency, the unmanned telescope has discovered 21 confirmed exoplanets and 850 candidates for further study. ... See more

Long before Armstrong and Aldrin, artists were stoking dreams of space travel

If the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing is an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable technological achievement, it’s also a good time to reflect on the creative vision that made it possible.

Long before Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon, artists and writers were crafting visions of extraterrestrial exploration that would make space flight possible. ... See more

While the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing is an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable technological achievement, it's worth reflecting upon the creative vision that made it possible.

Apollo 11 at 50: A Complete Guide to the Historic Moon Landing

On July 20, 1969, 600 million people watched with anxious excitement as Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. took their first steps on the moon's surface.

The first humans ever to leave footprints in the lunar regolith, Aldrin and Armstrong made history — and a permanent impression on the world — as they bravely ventured beyond Earth. This summer marks 50 years since Aldrin, Armstrong and Michael Collins made their daring journey to the moon.

https://www.space.com/apollo-11-complete-guide.html ... See more

Relive the drama!

India's Chandrayaan-2 moon mission called off minutes before launch

“A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at T-56 minute. As a measure of abundant precaution, #Chandrayaan2 launch has been called off for today,” the agency tweeted.

A revised launch date will be announced later, it added.

Chandrayaan-2 is India’s first attempt at a surface landing on the moon - a feat achieved by only Russia, the US and China. If successful, it would also be the first mission to land on the unexplored lunar south pole, where scientists hope to collect information about the moon’s mineral and chemical composition, and search for water. ... See more

Nation’s first attempt at a landing on the moon put on hold due to ‘technical snag’

Virgin Orbit performs a successful drop test of its LauncherOne rocket launch system – TechCrunch

Richard Branson-backed space startup Virgin Orbit has completed a key step along its path to launching satellites for commercial customers.

The company held a successful “drop test” of its LauncherOne rocket, in which the crucial piece of its launch system was released in a free fall from its Boeing 747-based launch aircraft (nicknamed “Cosmic Girl”). ... See more

Richard Branson-backed space startup Virgin Orbit has completed a key step along its path to launching satellites for commercial customers. The company held a successful “drop test” of its LauncherOne rocket, in which the crucial piece of its launch system was released in a free fall fr… ... See more

How to watch South America’s total eclipse from anywhere

How to watch South America’s total eclipse from anywhere

The first total solar eclipse since 2017 will put on a sunset show over Chile and Argentina.

NASA Selects Flying Mission to Study Titan for Origins, Signs of Life – NASA Solar System Exploration

NASA has announced that our next destination in the solar system is the unique, richly organic world Titan. Advancing our search for the building blocks of life, the Dragonfly mission will fly multiple sorties to sample and examine sites around Saturn’s icy moon.

Dragonfly will launch in 2026 and arrive in 2034. The rotorcraft will fly to dozens of promising locations on Titan looking for prebiotic chemical processes common on both Titan and Earth. Dragonfly marks the first time NASA will fly a multi-rotor vehicle for science on another planet; it has eight rotors and flies like a large drone. It will take advantage of Titan’s dense atmosphere – four times denser than Earth’s – to become the first vehicle ever to fly its entire science payload to new places for repeatable and targeted access to surface materials. ... See more

NASA has announced that our next destination in the solar system is the unique, richly organic world Titan.

What did the Apollo astronauts leave behind?

Each of the six Apollo missions that landed on the Moon carried an array of science experiments designed to tell us about our satellite and its environment. The Moon rocks the astronauts brought back to Earth deservedly received the most attention, but the other experiments proved their worth as well. ... See more

Each of the six Apollo missions that landed on the Moon carried an array of science experiments designed to tell us about our satellite and its environment. The Moon rocks the astronauts brought back

SpaceX Dragon capsule returns from Space Station resupply mission – TechCrunch

SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule has made its way back from the International Space Station, completing the private launcher’s seventeenth resupply mission for the orbital research facility.

Commercial Resupply Services mission 17 (aka CRS-17 if you’re down to acronym) launched on May 4, its first backup window after an initial mission scrub. The Dragon’s cargo for this one included 5,500 lbs of both supplies for the astronauts, as well as materials used for ongoing experiments and research aboard the station.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/03/spacex-dragon-capsule-returns-from-space-station-resupply-mission/ ... See more

SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule has made its way back from the International Space Station, completing the private launcher’s seventeenth resupply mission for the orbital research facility. Commercial Resupply Services mission 17 (aka CRS-17 if you’re down to acronym) launched on Ma… ... See more