It’s almost a new lunar phase, with the Moon one night away from the First Quarter. This means that just under half of the Moon is illuminated tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Jan. 25, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 43% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

There's plenty to see tonight, even with just your naked eye, including the Crisum, Serenitatis and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater and the Posidonius Crater. And finally, if you have a telescope, you can also see the Apollo 16 and 17 landing spots and the Rupes Altai.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

NASA tells us the lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, which is how long the Moon takes to travel once around Earth. Over that period, it passes through eight recognised phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the portion that appears lit changes as the Moon moves along its orbit. The varying amount of sunlight reaching the Moon is what makes it appear full, partially illuminated, or almost invisible at different points in the cycle. The eight lunar phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

On the moon's extreme western rim, straddling the border with the lunar far side, a landmark nearly 600 miles wide almost completely escapes Earth's view. 

A colossal asteroid-like invader once ripped through the lunar crust, flinging out rings of mountains and scooping out a giant bowl, later flooded and backfilled with dark lava. The bullseye still stands today, scars memorializing that long-ago catastrophe. 

From space orbiter cameras, Mare Orientale, which means "Eastern Sea" in Latin, reads clearly as a fossil of violence, geometry, and time. But despite the lunar feature's vastness, its location has forced it to remain one of humanity's white whales. 

"Orientale has never been seen by human eyes," said Reid Wiseman, commander of NASA's Artemis II. 

On the upcoming historic mission, the first to send people into deep space in 50 years, astronauts Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will loop around the moon in the Orion capsule. Depending on final tests and weather conditions, NASA could launch the spaceship as early as Feb. 6. As the crew swing past the far side — the lunar hemisphere that never faces Earth — the astronauts may see landscapes no one has ever seen before in sunlight.

With Apollo 8 astronauts taking the first glimpse of the far side in 1968, Artemis II won't be the first mission to have this vantage point. But this time, the launch period, flight path, and lighting conditions of the lunar terrain could let the crew study parts of the moon humans have never seen directly, revealing subtle surface details that stayed hidden in earlier missions.

The far side of the moon

The far-side hemisphere was once dubbed "the dark side" because people had never seen it. The misnomer has led many to incorrectly assume the far side is shrouded in darkness, a confusion that persists even today. In reality, the hemisphere receives just as much light as the near side. 

People only ever see the near side because of one truly astronomical coincidence. It takes about a month for the moon, some 250,000 miles away, to orbit Earth. For the moon to make one full spin on its axis, it takes roughly the same amount of time. Until October 1959, when the Soviet space program swung the robotic Luna 3 probe around the moon and snapped some grainy pictures, no one had any idea what the other side was like. 

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Apollo crews only had brief views of the far side as they looped around the moon. Their launches were timed so that the near side, where they landed and explored, would be bathed in sunlight. But that usually meant when the near-side was well-lit, the far side was in shadow or only had a thin crescent illuminated. 

By comparison, Artemis II will have a high likelihood of seeing 60 percent of the far side that human eyes have never seen. That matters, mission leaders said, because despite having plenty of robotic spacecraft images of the far side, nothing beats firsthand observations. 

After all, having people there, not just machines, is the point.

Artemis II astronauts Jeremy Hansen, left, Christina Koch, center, and Jenni Gibbons, a backup crewmate, get hands-on geology training on a field trip to Iceland. Credit: Canadian Space Agency

"Most people think that the moon is only gray," said Jacob Bleacher, NASA's chief exploration scientist, "but the human eye can pick out a tremendous amount of detail." 

Three full hours of observations

NASA plans to make the most of that opportunity. Even though they won't put boots down on the moon, the Artemis II astronauts have received geology and science training so they know what to look for as the moon fills Orion’s windows.

During the flight, they hope to spend three full hours completely devoted to observations. Their eyes will scan the far-side terrain, studying variations in the grayscale. Those subtle nuances of how bright or dark patches of the surface appear can hint at different rock types and ages. 

Artemis II astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover, right, practice photography of lunar targets during a training exercise. Credit: NASA / James Blair

NASA expects the crew to move between looking with their own eyes, taking pictures with cameras, and talking through what they see with flight controllers in Houston. They will carry checklists from science teams on where to look, but they'll also have the freedom to explore as they please.

"The moon will look about like holding a basketball at arm's reach," Bleacher said, "so they'll be able to see a good bit of the moon, if not all of it."

Future Artemis landing sites

Scientists believe a lot could be gained from studying the far side. The near side has large dark patches, called maria, that together resemble the "man in the moon" face. When lava filled in the ancient craters, it erased other craters that recorded some of the moon's geological history. But on the far side, fewer of these dark splotches exist, suggesting that it has a more pristine record of cosmic collisions. 

During the NASA and Soviet space race, no one ever landed on this unseen side, even robotically, because of how challenging it is. The moon itself blocks communication between flight controllers on Earth and spacecraft on the other side. But in 2018, China put a communication relay satellite in space about 40,000 miles beyond the moon to allow the exchange of signals. That same year, China succeeded in becoming the first nation to put an uncrewed lander on the far side. 

Not only could the Artemis II observations enlighten scientists about solar system history, but the crew could help pick landing sites for future missions and pinpoint compelling science targets. They may just turn our familiar gray saucer into something new again. 

"We hope it's not 'the dark side,'" Koch said, referring to its old, misleading nickname. "We hope it's the lit far side." 

It's day six of the lunar cycle, and the Moon is well in our view now. There's plenty to spot on its surface, so what can you see when you look up?

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Jan. 24, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 32% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Don't have any visual aids? Not a problem. Without, you'll still be able to see the Crisum, Serenitatis and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater and the Posidonius Crater. If you have a telescope, you can also see the Apollo 11 and 17 landing spots and the Rupes Altai.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon’s phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts roughly 29 and a half days, according to NASA. This is the length of time it takes the Moon to orbit Earth once. During this time, the Moon moves through eight separate stages. Although the same face of the Moon is always turned toward Earth, how much of it we see lit up changes as its position shifts around the planet. This changing angle of sunlight is what causes the Moon to look fully illuminated, partly lit, or nearly invisible at different times. The eight phases in the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The Moon is getting brighter each night as it works its way through the lunar cycle. It'll keep getting brighter and bigger until the Full Moon, on Feb. 1.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Jan. 23, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 22% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

You don't need any visual aids tonight, without you'll be able to see the Crisum and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater, and with a telescope you can also see the Apollo 17 landing spot.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon’s phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts roughly 29 and a half days, according to NASA. This is the length of time it takes the Moon to orbit Earth once. During this time, the Moon moves through eight separate stages. Although the same face of the Moon is always turned toward Earth, how much of it we see lit up changes as its position shifts around the planet. This changing angle of sunlight is what causes the Moon to look fully illuminated, partly lit, or nearly invisible at different times. The eight phases in the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

More than three years since the Orion capsule's inaugural voyage, NASA is about to shoot the capsule into space again — but this time four astronauts will ride it to the moon.

Artemis II — which mission leaders say could happen as early as two weeks from now in February — is a crucial practice run for NASA's hardware that turns Artemis I's uncrewed success into a fully human mission.

"While Artemis I was a great success, there are new systems and new capabilities that we will be demonstrating on Artemis II, including the life support systems, the display capabilities, software, and et cetera," said Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA's acting deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development. "This is a stepped approach, and all that we learned from Artemis II, we will build upon that to prepare us for our first crewed landing on the surface of the moon for Artemis III."

Though the crew won't ever leave the confines of the spaceship during their 10-day mission, the four members will hold a place in history as the first space travelers of Artemis, the new exploration program named after Apollo's goddess twin. It's the beginning of NASA's ambitious plan to send astronauts to Mars by the late 2030s, preparing for a world far less hospitable than Earth.

This second Artemis mission — the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years — raises the stakes. Instead of just proving that the Space Launch System rocket and capsule can survive, NASA must show that the vehicles can keep people alive on a 10‑day trip around the moon and back. The mission will test crew controls and emergency options that future astronauts will rely on when NASA tries to land on the lunar surface and eventually push on toward Mars.

Artemis II will carry Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Hammock Koch and Jeremy Hansen. Hansen, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut, will be the first international crewmate on a lunar mission. 

The astronauts will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop the 322-foot mega moon rocket, loop around the moon on a roughly four‑day outbound trip, fly about 4,600 miles beyond it, and return to a splashdown off the coast of California.

The Artemis II mission will take four astronauts on a 10-day voyage around the moon. Credit: NASA infographic

That distance could set a new human spaceflight record, exceeding the one set by Apollo 13, which traveled 248,655 miles from Earth in 1970. Whether Artemis II reaches its planned 257,000 miles depends on when exactly the mission launches.

Koch said she had recently met Fred Haise, now in his 90s and the last surviving Apollo 13 crew member. 

"He said, 'I heard you're going to beat our record,' and it made me realize maybe he's paying attention to it more than we are. I think that sometimes when we talk about superlatives, we may inadvertently ignore the real story of what's going on in our mission," she said. "It's not about farthest, first, fastest, longest. It's about the teamwork."

A major change from the 25-day Artemis I mission in 2022 is the path the crew will take. Artemis II will use what NASA calls a "free return trajectory," which means once Orion heads toward the moon, gravity from Earth and the moon will naturally bend the spaceship's course back home, even if later engine burns fail.

Another big difference comes right after launch. Before committing the astronauts to deep space, NASA will park Orion in a high Earth orbit that takes about a day to complete. That gives the team time to thoroughly check the spacecraft while it remains relatively close to home.

"When we get off the planet, we might come right back home, we might spend three or four days around Earth, we might go to the moon," Wiseman said. "That's where we want to go, but it is a test mission, and we are ready for every scenario."

During this phase, the crew will perform a test of how Orion handles when astronauts steer it — practice for later missions that must dock with a lunar lander. Once the ship separates from the upper stage, they'll turn Orion around and manually fly near the spent propulsion section, using cameras and windows to approach and back away. 

From left, NASA pilot Victor Glover, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch, and NASA Commander Reid Wiseman climb the crew access arm at the launchpad for an Artemis II test. Credit: NASA / Frank Michaux

For the return home, NASA has tweaked its original re-entry plan after discovering damage to Orion's heatshield following Artemis I. Engineers have since adjusted the flight path so the capsule doesn’t plow through the atmosphere as hard or as long. By aiming closer to San Diego, California, versus Baja California, Mexico, they can shorten the hottest part of the ride. 

While the agency has committed to launching Artemis II no later than April 2026 and is working toward a possible February window, which opens Feb. 6, mission leaders stressed that schedule will never outrun safety.

"I've got a good eye for launch fever," said John Honeycutt, head of the mission management team. "I'm not going to tell the agency that I'm ready to go fly until I think we're ready to go fly."

It's day four of the new lunar cycle, and the Moon is finally making its comeback. It's slightly brighter in the sky tonight, so keep scrolling to find out exactly what you'll be able to see.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, Jan. 22, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 14% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Without any visual aids, tonight, you can see the Crisum and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars or a telescope you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases make up the lunar cycle, which NASA says lasts about 29.5 days, the time it takes the Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth. As the Moon travels around our planet, it passes through eight distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear full, partially lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The eight phases of the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The Northern Lights are putting on a show for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, delivering a beautiful display of light across several U.S. states. Here's how to watch the aurora borealis this week.

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), this week's Northern Lights will be visible on Jan. 19 and linger through to the next day in some areas. Even so, you're best off catching the aurora on Monday if you're able, as it will be significantly less prominent later in the week. Those at higher latitudes will have a better chance of seeing the aurora, though the notable strength of this week's display means the Northern Lights may be visible as low as Alabama and northern California.

This wide range of visibility is because Monday's Northern Lights have been caused by the largest solar radiation storm in over 20 years, resulting in a particularly strong aurora. The SWPC has issued a severe G4 geomagnetic storm alert in response, warning that it may cause widespread problems with the power grid, and that GPS navigation and high frequency radio may also be inoperable for hours. Infrastructure operators and authorities have been notified about the expected disruptions.

Fortunately, the SWPC states that there isn't much the general public needs to do in response to the geomagnetic storm. All that's required is that you stay informed and, if weather permits, search for an aurora.

Credit: The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center

How to get the best view of the Northern Lights

The easiest way to view the Northern Lights is to simply head outside during the night and look up. Auroras can be visible from over 600 miles away in the right conditions, so it's worth checking even if you're slightly outside the predicted zone of visibility. However, if you would like to give yourself the best possible conditions for viewing an aurora, there are a few factors to keep in mind.

According to the SWPC, the best time to see the Northern Lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., as the level of geomagnetic activity increases during this period. This is also the darkest time of night, providing the strongest contrast with the bright Northern Lights to make them more visible.

Choosing a viewing area with as little light pollution as possible will also enhance your experience. A Certified Dark Sky Place close to the U.S.-Canadian border would be an optimal choice, as all of them have been assessed and recognised for having minimal light pollution. If you can't make it to one, just try to reduce light pollution where you are.

What causes the Northern Lights?

While auroras take place in the Earth's atmosphere, they are actually the result of solar activity.

When a solar flare or coronal mass ejection occurs on the Sun's surface, large amounts of plasma and magnetic field are expelled from the outermost layer of its atmosphere. This creates a high-speed solar wind, or solar storm, which may travel through space to reach Earth. Depending upon the nature of the solar activity, the journey to Earth can take as little as a few minutes or as long as a few days.

Once the solar storm does reach Earth, most of it is reflected back out into space by Earth's magnetic field. However, not all of it is turned away. Some charged ion particles enter the magnetic field instead, then travel to Earth's polar regions where said field is weakest.

The charged ions then collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, creating chemical reactions which emit light: an aurora. The Northern and Southern Lights are both created in this same way. The only difference is that the aurora borealis is in the Northern Hemisphere, while the aurora australis is in the Southern Hemisphere.

It's day one of the new lunar cycle, and over the next few days, a thin crescent will begin to appear as the Moon moves further along its orbit. It'll take a few days before it comes into view properly, but from tonight you should be able to see a sliver of Moon in the sky.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, Jan. 19, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 1% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

There's still too little Moon illuminated for us to spot anything, but it's only a few more days before the crescent will appear slightly bigger in the sky.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases make up the lunar cycle, which NASA says lasts about 29.5 days, the time it takes the Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth. As the Moon travels around our planet, it passes through eight distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear full, partially lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The eight phases of the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA will soon run a high‑stakes fueling test on its Artemis II rocket, a practice run that must succeed before four astronauts can fly around the moon.

The U.S. space agency inched the 11 million-pound Space Launch System and mobile launcher to a Cape Canaveral, Florida, launchpad on Saturday, Jan. 17. The slow procession of the 322-foot rocket, topped with the Orion spaceship, took 12 hours on the aging crawler-transporter to complete. 

That four-mile trek could mark the first leg of Artemis II, a 10-day journey around the moon and back that will put the spaceship through its paces. The lunar mission will be NASA's first with astronauts —Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Canada's Jeremy Hansen — in 53 years since Apollo 17. 

The so-called "wet dress rehearsal" will load the mega moon rocket with 700,000 gallons of ultra‑cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants and take the countdown all the way to 29 seconds before liftoff. How this test goes will shape the flight timeline and determine whether launch opportunities in February remain in play.

"We need to get through wet dress, we need to see what lessons we learn as a result of that, and that will ultimately lay out our path toward launch," Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell‑Thompson said. "With a wet dress that is without significant issues, if everything goes to plan, then certainly there are opportunities within February that could be achievable." 

NASA's mega moon rocket emerges from its massive warehouse at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky

When is the wet dress rehearsal? 

The 322-foot rocket, taller than the Statue of Liberty, rolls past the firing room on its way to the launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignan

During the test, teams will fill the rocket and rehearse every major step of launch‑day fueling. Controllers will run through all countdown procedures, including the final "terminal count," then stop on purpose at T‑29 seconds. NASA is targeting Feb. 2 for the crucial exercise, though that could change, depending on preparations. 

"We'll review the data,"  said Blackwell‑Thompson, "then we'll set up for our launch attempt." 

The results will determine whether NASA will hit its soonest launch window, which opens Feb. 6.

NASA's crawler-transporter carries the 11-million-pound rocket stack and mobile launcher to the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignani

Artemis II builds on lessons from the uncrewed maiden voyage in 2022, which needed several tries to complete fueling. Engineers adjusted how they load liquid oxygen after seeing temperature issues and modified hardware after hydrogen leaks were discovered in the connection between the ground systems and the rocket. They also changed and cryogenically tested a key valve that caused trouble during the final uncrewed countdown.

Since Artemis I, the Kennedy Space Center has revised procedures and upgraded hardware as part of the Artemis II plan.

The mega moon rocket traverses 4 miles to get to the launchpad for a wet dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Ben Smegelsky

From left, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover, and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman take questions from reporters as the mega moon rocket rolls behind them to the launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Kim Shiflett

When will Artemis II launch?

After 12 hours of crawling, the rocket reaches launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, after 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Brandon Hancock

Once the wet dress rehearsal ends, engineers will pore over the performance of the rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and the ground systems. Only if the data looks clean will the mission managers move on to setting a specific launch date. 

NASA officials have rejected any characterization that the team has "launch fever" or that preparations have been rushed.

"I've got one job, and it's a safe return of Reid and Victor and Christina and Jeremy. I consider that a duty and a trust," said John Honeycutt, chairperson of the mission management team. "We're going to fly when we're ready."

It’s officially the New Moon, which means the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun and isn’t visible in the sky. It's also the final day of a the current lunar cycle, so from now on, the Moon will appear brighter and brighter each night until the Full Moon.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Jan. 18, the Moon phase is New Moon. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 0% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Unsurprisingly, with 0% visibility, there's 0% chance of spotting anything on the Moon tonight. Things will start to get brighter over the coming days as we work through the new lunar cycle.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases make up the lunar cycle, which NASA says lasts about 29.5 days, the time it takes the Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth. As the Moon travels around our planet, it passes through eight distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear full, partially lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The eight phases of the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA’s mega moon rocket will begin a slow trek to its Florida launchpad early Saturday, marking a major milestone for Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years.

The rollout of the Space Launch System and Orion spaceship to a Cape Canaveral launchpad will kick off the final series of ground tests before NASA attempts to send four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — on a 10-day flight into deep space. 

The journey begins at 7 a.m. ET Jan. 17, which you can watch live below, with the stacked rocket exiting the Vehicle Assembly Building on a giant crawler-transporter. And they don't call it a "crawl" for nothing. 

"We'll be at a cruising speed of just under 1 mph," said launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson at a Friday briefing. "It'll be a little slower around the turns and up the hill, and that journey will take us about eight to 10 hours to get there." 

Once at the pad, teams will hook the rocket and capsule to ground systems and swing the crew access arm into place. If the fueling dress rehearsal goes smoothly, NASA could target launch opportunities as early as February. 

Here’s what to know about NASA’s towering moon rocket.

1. SLS is powerful, but no longer the most powerful

SLS generates about 8.8 million pounds of thrust, roughly the output of 160,000 Corvette engines. SpaceX’s Starship now exceeds that, producing an estimated 16 to 17 million pounds.

NASA's rocket claimed the power crown during its Artemis I debut, but Starship has since flown multiple tests in space. That distinction comes with caveats, though: SLS is flight-ready for astronauts, while Starship has yet to even carry cargo. 

With Artemis II, SLS could become the most powerful rocket ever to launch humans. Its four main engines burn roughly 700,000 gallons of ultra-cold fuel, producing enough oomph to keep eight Boeing 747s aloft. Future versions of SLS, if they come to fruition, could deliver even greater power.

Size tells a similar story. SLS stands 322 feet tall, higher than the Statue of Liberty and Big Ben. It tops the Space Shuttle stack — a stack is the fully assembled, vertical version of a space rocket — but still trails Saturn V, NASA’s Apollo-era moon rocket. Starship, again, looms largest, rising more than 80 feet above SLS.

Watch NASA's livestream of the SLS rollout in the video above, beginning at 7 a.m. ET Jan. 17.

2. SLS is the only rocket built to fly Orion

Right now, SLS is the sole vehicle capable of sending Orion to the moon and beyond. The capsule, renamed Integrity by the crew, serves as both spacecraft and living quarters, providing its astronauts a snug space to work, eat, and sleep on long missions.

For Artemis II, Orion will fly about 5,000 miles past the moon's far side, potentially setting a new distance record for human spaceflight. When it returns, the spaceship will splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

3. SLS is made with retro hardware

The mega moon rocket is literally built on the Space Shuttle’s legacy. NASA carried forward major shuttle hardware into the new rocket, drawing on a program that flew from 1981 to 2011.

Engineers replaced the winged orbiter with Orion, while stretching the shuttle’s orange external tank into the rocket’s core stage. Four former shuttle main engines power that core.

Unlike before, those engines will not be reused. NASA plans to discard them after flight. Two shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters flank the core and provide about 75 percent of the thrust at liftoff. NASA modernized key systems and manufacturing methods, though Congress barred a clean-sheet design.

NASA's crawler-transporter leaves crushed rocks in its wake as it carries the Space Launch System to its launchpad on Nov. 4, 2022. Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky

4. SLS sacrifices reusability for reach

Keeping in mind that SLS relies on Space Shuttle hardware, it demanded major changes to reach the moon. After all, the shuttle was originally designed for short trips to the International Space Station, about 250 miles above Earth. By contrast, the moon is roughly 239,000 miles away.

To make that leap, engineers stripped out reusable features such as parachutes, reserve fuel, and landing sensors. The changes freed about 2,000 pounds of payload capacity, helping Orion reach roughly 24,500 mph, the speed needed for a moonbound trajectory. The cost of that performance is disposability: SLS uses new boosters and engines for every mission.

Its exhaust is relatively clean, though. The engines burn liquid hydrogen and oxygen, producing superheated water vapor. NASA also replaced asbestos insulation on the boosters with rubber-based materials.

5. SLS is often called the most expensive

Many at NASA and on Capitol Hill have called SLS "America’s rocket," treating it as a national asset akin to a custom-built aircraft carrier for the military. Cost control was never the top priority. 

A 2010 spending law ordered NASA to build the rocket and spelled out its design, contractors, and business model. Passed during the Great Recession, it aimed in part to protect jobs. Today, about 3,800 suppliers across all 50 states support SLS and Orion.

SLS is often cited as the most expensive rocket ever built. In 2022, NASA’s inspector general estimated each Artemis launch would cost $4.1 billion, with about half tied to SLS alone.

It's almost the New Moon, which means we're approaching a night where none of the Moon will be lit up. You might think that's tonight, but believe it or not, there is a small sliver of light coming from it. Read on to find out just how much Moon is on display tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Jan. 17, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 2% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

As we're so close to the New Moon (the night where the Moon appears completely dark from Earth), visibility is too low to see anything.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases make up the lunar cycle, which NASA says lasts about 29.5 days, the time it takes the Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth. As the Moon travels around our planet, it passes through eight distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear full, partially lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The eight phases of the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

On the 18th day of the Artemis I mission, NASA unexpectedly lost contact with its moonship, with the silence lasting for over four hours. 

The outage began when the Goldstone station near Barstow, Calif., abruptly went dark, severing a critical link in the agency's deep space network. Controllers missed thousands of minutes of data from the Orion spacecraft and 16 other missions. 

The problem was rather mundane but troubling: failed aging hard drives, outdated software, and warning lights that never blinked on. 

Goldstone eventually came back online, but the 2022 episode exposed the fragility of the space communication infrastructure. Now, as the agency prepares to launch astronauts on Artemis II — the first crewed flight to the moon in a half-century — NASA says the system is ready to go, despite Goldstone's 230-foot-wide antenna remaining out of service for the past four months. 

But as mission leaders gear up for a potential February launch, NASA insists the broken DSS-14 dish, sometimes called the Mars Antenna, shouldn't be a concern, according to a statement for Mashable. 

"There are no impacts on Artemis II communications because DSS-14 wasn't part of the mission planning, even before its unplanned outage," said Ian O'Neill, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory spokesperson.

The agency's latest assurance may be true, but the memory of that 4.5-hour blackout four years ago makes the situation feel more precarious, especially with four people scheduled to fly in Orion this time. 

The damaged Mars Antenna at the Goldstone Complex is the largest dish on site — as large as a Boeing 747 jet — capable of tracking spacecraft traveling tens of billions of miles from Earth. It broke on Sept. 16, 2025, when it over-rotated during operations, straining cables and pipes at its center. Damaged hoses from the fire suppression system caused flooding, though NASA says the water damage was quickly addressed.

The now broken 230-foot-wide antenna at NASA Deep Space Network complex near Barstow, Calif., tracks a spacecraft on Nov. 17, 2009. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

After returning from a long federal government shutdown, NASA established a formal mishap investigation board to determine what caused the damage and plan repairs, officials said in November. Mashable was among the first outlets to report the accident. 

More than two months later, there's still no update on the radio dish's return to service. 

Founded in 1963, NASA’s Deep Space Network is the world’s largest and most powerful system for communicating with spacecraft. It commands and monitors more than 40 missions through three complexes in California, Spain, and Australia, working around the clock so at least one site can always reach spacecraft as Earth rotates.

Setbacks of this scale have happened before. In 2014, a welder accidentally dropped a handrail during maintenance, puncturing a hole in the DSS-14 dish. In 1992, an earthquake wrecked the antenna, requiring repairs.

Beyond the aging hardware, the network is also overburdened. Data flowing through it has risen sharply over the past 30 years, exceeding its original capacity by 40 percent. The NASA inspector general, who acts as the federal watchdog over the agency, has repeatedly pushed for upgrades. Under the Deep Space Network Aperture Enhancement Program, the agency is adding six dishes, including a new 112-foot-wide antenna in California expected to come online this year.

The Office of Inspector General has not examined the specific impacts of the offline Goldstone antenna on Artemis II or other missions, said Raleigh McElvery, a spokesperson. Still, it issued a 2024 audit on NASA’s Artemis II readiness, noting that the agency had begun corrective actions to guard against similar outages. Since the 2022 blackout, NASA signed new agreements with international partners, such as Japan’s JAXA, to provide backup coverage should another loss of contact occur.

Having that reinforcement is crucial, according to the report, because communication disruptions during the mission are "increasingly likely."

"In fact, since the Artemis I mission, two similar failures have occurred at Canberra and Goldstone, requiring the replacement of three additional hard drives," according to the audit. "Looking forward, it is critical that the Agency continues to focus on improving DSN's maintenance, operations, and reliability to better ensure the network does not encounter outages that could put the Artemis II crew and spacecraft at risk." 

The moon is almost completely out of view as we near the end of the current lunar cycle. The lunar cycle is a recurring series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility, and different phases occur as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. Keep reading to find out what tonight's phase is.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Jan. 16, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 5% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Unfortunately, visibility is too low to spot anything on the moon tonight.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases make up the lunar cycle, which NASA says lasts about 29.5 days, the time it takes the Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth. As the Moon travels around our planet, it passes through eight distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear full, partially lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The eight phases of the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 has safely returned to Earth in an unprecedented ISS medical evacuation, splashing down off the Californian coast on Thursday morning.

Landing in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at 3:41 a.m. ET / 12:41 a.m. PT, a Dragon capsule saw four astronauts safely returned from the International Space Station after a 167-day mission. NASA's Commander Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Russia's Oleg Platonov landed right on time, according to NASA, and were retrieved by a SpaceX recovery crew waiting nearby.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

You can watch the splashdown on NASA's YouTube livestream (around the 1:30:00 mark).

As the capsule waited for the SpaceX recovery crew, a few cheeky dolphins popped up right beside it:

Cute! Credit: NASA / YouTube

The crew's landing date was brought forward due to medical concerns with one of the crew, the name of whom NASA has kept confidential during all press statements. Mashable space reporter Elisha Sauers took a detailed look at NASA's first medical evacuation from the ISS. According to NASA, the crew member "remains stable," and stated in a press release, "Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member."

After being brought aboard the SpaceX recovery ship, all four astronauts exited the capsule with help from the crew, then were transported immediately to a medical tent on board. According to NASA, they're set to be assessed in a local hospital overnight and then taken to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for further evaluation.

NASA Commander Zena Cardman emerging from the landed Dragon capsule. Credit: NASA / YouTube

Crew-11 left Earth on Aug. 1, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and have since conducted research and experiments designed to prepare for future human exploration of Mars and the moon.

It's day 26 of the lunar cycle, so there's not much to see on the Moon's surface tonight. If you have viewing gear, however, you may still catch a glimpse. Keep reading to see what's happening with tonight's Moon.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, Jan. 15, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 10% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Tonight, the only thing to spot on the Moon's surface is the Grimaldi Basin. To be able to see it, you'll need either binoculars or a telescope.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases are what make up the lunar cycle, a phase that NASA tells us takes about 29.5 days. This is the time that the Moon takes to complete a full orbit. As it moves around Earth, it goes through a series of eight distinct phases. The same side of the Moon always faces our planet, but the sunlight hitting it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can sometimes appear full, partially lit, or completely dark. The eight phases that make up the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

We're nearing the end of the current lunar cycle, with just a few days of visibility left. However, there's still a sliver visible tonight, so grab your binoculars or telescope and see what you can spot.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Jan. 14, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 17% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

With no visual aids tonight, you should be able to spot the Aristarchus Plateau. This is positioned to the far left of the moon, in the middle. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, it'll be the right side of the moon. If you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope, these will help you to see the Grimaldi Basin.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases are what make up the lunar cycle, a phase that NASA tells us takes about 29.5 days. This is the time that the Moon takes to complete a full orbit. As it moves around Earth, it goes through a series of eight distinct phases. The same side of the Moon always faces our planet, but the sunlight hitting it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can sometimes appear full, partially lit, or completely dark. The eight phases that make up the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have mapped where dust collects around a nearby supermassive black hole — and found that almost all of it sits in a compact ring feeding the object.

The study focuses on the Circinus galaxy, about 13 million light-years away in space. Webb’s sharp imaging made out relatively small parts of the center of the galaxy, allowing researchers to distinguish material falling in from the dust getting pushed out.

This ring, called a "torus," acts like both a fuel line and a gatekeeper: It funnels material toward the black hole while shaping how energy escapes into the surrounding galaxy. 

The discovery overturns decades of assumptions. Astronomers previously thought streams of hot matter, or outflows, produced the galaxy’s brightest infrared light. But Webb’s new observations, published in the journal Nature, reveal that roughly 87 percent of the glowing dust is concentrated in the dense disk feeding the black hole, while less than 1 percent comes out, essentially as exhaust. 

"Since the '90s, it has not been possible to explain excess infrared emissions that come from hot dust at the cores of active galaxies, meaning the models only take into account either the torus or the outflows, but cannot explain that excess," said Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez, based at the University of South Carolina and lead author of the study, in a statement.

Black holes are some of the strangest objects in the universe. Their gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape. It wasn't that long ago that astronomers debated whether they even existed. Now black holes are firmly established science — and we can see them, sort of. 

In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope captured the first image of a black hole, located 53 million light-years away in the Messier 87 galaxy. It captured the glowing debris surrounding it, which makes the dark center — the black hole itself — visible by contrast. 

A black hole flares when gas, dust, or even a star ventures too close. Gravity tears the material apart, and as it spirals in, it heats up and emits a bright light before disappearing.

To separate the disk of Circinus' black hole from its exhaust, astronomers used Webb’s Aperture Masking Interferometer on its Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph. That's a long name for a tool that turns Webb into a mini telescope array, combining light through a mask of seven small openings to produce interference patterns. These patterns are then used to reconstruct sharp images of tiny, previously hidden features.

"By using an advanced imaging mode of the camera, we can effectively double its resolution over a smaller area of the sky," said co-author Joel Sanchez-Bermudez, a National University of Mexico astrophysicist, in a statement. "This allows us to see images twice as sharp." 

The team’s findings mark the first time scientists have used a space infrared interferometer for a target outside the Milky Way. Researchers say this technique can now be applied to other black holes, helping to determine whether Circinus has the exception or the rule when it comes to its black hole's behavior. 

"We need a statistical sample of black holes, perhaps a dozen or two dozen, to understand how mass in their accretion disks and their outflows relate to their power," Lopez-Rodriguez said.

We're almost halfway through the month, and we're nearing the end of the current lunar cycle. It's day 24, which means the moon is slowly disappearing. By the 29th day, there'll be nothing to see at all.

There's still a glimpse to see tonight, however, so dust off any viewing gear and head outside to see what you can spot.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 24% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

If you don't have any viewing gear, not to worry, there's still features to be spotted with just your naked eye. These include the Kepler Crater and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have a pair of binoculars, these will help you to see these plus the Grimaldi Basin and the Mare Humorum. Lucky moon-gazers will a telescope will see all of this and catch extra sightings of the Apollo 12 landing spot and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full orbit, a period known as the lunar cycle. As it moves around Earth, the Moon goes through a series of eight distinct phases. The same side of the Moon always faces our planet, but the sunlight hitting it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear fully lit, partially lit, or completely dark at different times. The eight phases that make up the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA will undock a SpaceX Dragon capsule from the International Space Station and bring four astronauts home Thursday morning after a medical problem prompted an early return.

The move is surprising because it marks the first medical evacuation from the station in its 25 years of continuous use, highlighting the limits of health care in space. The agency will not disclose which astronaut is unwell, citing privacy reasons. 

NASA plans for Crew-11 to depart the station at about 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, Jan. 14, pending weather and recovery conditions. The ship is targeted to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off California at about 12:40 a.m. PT / 3:40 a.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 15.

How to watch Crew-11 return

Live coverage is scheduled to begin at noon PT / 3 p.m. ET Wednesday for the hatch closing on the spacecraft and departure. NASA plans to resume coverage of the return at 11:15 p.m. PT Wednesday / 2:15 a.m. ET Thursday, with a news briefing following a few hours later.

NASA officials said one crew member experienced a serious medical issue that requires a full diagnostic workup on the ground. The astronaut is stable, officials said. NASA characterized the event as a "controlled expedited return," not an emergency deorbit, meaning the crew will follow standard landing rules and approved splashdown zones.

The Dragon spacecraft carrying Crew-11 is expected to depart from the International Space Station on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. Credit: NASA

Crew-11 includes commander Zena Cardman, pilot Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. NASA has not identified the affected astronaut, citing medical privacy. Japan’s space agency said Yui is not the ill or injured party, according to Japanese news reports.

The agency announced the early return after canceling a planned spacewalk last week. Fincke and Cardman had been preparing for a solar panel project when a medical concern arose. Officials said the issue was not related to station operations, spacewalk preparations, or a work-related injury.

After Dragon departs, American astronaut Chris Williams, who arrived on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November, will remain as the only U.S. crew member aboard the station, supported by Russian colleagues until Crew-12 launches, potentially in mid-February.

NASA said the splashdown and recovery will proceed normally, with flight surgeons on the recovery ship and hospitals on standby.

The Moon is in its Waning Crescent phase, meaning it's less than half visible. Soon, there won't be anything to see at all. But for now, there's still enough illuminated that we can see some features on its surface. Keep reading to find out what you can spot.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, Jan. 12, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 33% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Tonight, with just your naked eye you'll should be able to see the Oceanus Procellarum Plateau and the Kepler Crater. If you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin and the Mare Humorum. If you're lucky enough to have a telescope in your kit, this will help you see all this plus the Apollo 12 landing spot and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full orbit, a period known as the lunar cycle. As it moves around Earth, the Moon goes through a series of eight distinct phases. The same side of the Moon always faces our planet, but the sunlight hitting it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear fully lit, partially lit, or completely dark at different times. The eight phases that make up the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA is getting ready to finally send off the crew of the Artemis II, the first crewed expedition to the Moon since the Apollo missions ended in 1972.

Following several test rounds and small delays, the team is now readying to transport its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Kennedy Space Center. NASA says it's preparing for a potential wet dress rehearsal at the end of January and a launch as early as Feb. 6, the agency wrote in a Jan. 9 blog post. "It is another step toward new U.S.-crewed missions to the Moon’s surface, leading to a sustained presence on the Moon that will help the agency prepare to send the first astronauts — Americans — to Mars," said NASA.

The Artemis II mission was originally slated for Nov. 2024, with astronaut Reid Wiseman appointed as commander of a 4-person crew aboard the agency's brand new space vehicle. The scheduled date was pushed back to April 2026, however, and now appears to be ramping up for an even earlier 2026 blast off.

Members of the team include NASA’s Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The crew will be testing the ship's life support systems over a 10-day period and travel more than 4,000 miles to the far side of the moon.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The mission, if successful, may push the U.S. space agency closer toward winning the modern space race, a decades-long effort to get astronauts back on the lunar surface and prime the space body for further scientific discovery, surface mining, and a potential interplanetary existence. The U.S. is up against China's National Space Administration, which has landed multiple crew-less missions on the moon and is shooting for a human touchdown in 2030, and India's Space Research Organization, which became the first agency to get a moon lander to the space rock's south pole. Private sector efforts, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, have also advanced missions toward the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

We're now in the last lunar phase before the New Moon, which means we're almost at the end of this lunar cycle. The lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, during which the Moon completes a full orbit around Earth and passes through all eight of its phases.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Jan. 11, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 42% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

When you look up tonight, you won't need any visual aids to see features on the Moon's surface, with just your naked eye you'll should be able to see the Aristarchus Plateau, Kepler Crater, and Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, Clavius Crater, and the Mare Humorum. A telescope will help you see even more, including the Apollo 12 landing spot and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

NASA explains that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full orbit, a period known as the lunar cycle. As it moves around Earth, the Moon goes through a series of distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the sunlight hitting it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear fully lit, partially lit, or completely dark at different times. The lunar cycle includes eight main phases:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA will bring four astronauts home from the International Space Station days earlier than planned after one crew member experienced a medical issue that requires further testing. 

In a news conference on Jan. 8, agency leaders said the astronaut is "absolutely stable" but needs a full diagnostic workup that can't be done in the lab orbiting 250 miles above the planet. The return from space marks the first controlled medical evacuation from the station in its 25 years of continuous operations, highlighting the rarity of the situation and the limits of treating complex health problems away from Earth.

New NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said ending the mission a little early is in the best interest of Crew-11. The astronauts — Commander Zena Cardman, pilot Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov — will ride SpaceX's Dragon Endeavour capsule back to Earth within days. 

UPDATE: Jan. 12, 2026, 9:40 a.m. EST NASA has released new information on the return of Crew-11, including when the astronauts will disembark from the International Space Station, the targeted splashdown, and live coverage of the event. This story is updated with the details.

Once Dragon departs as early as Wednesday, American astronaut Chris Williams, who arrived on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November, will be the only U.S. crew member left. Russian colleagues will help Williams manage systems and experiments until Crew‑12's flight launches, potentially as soon as mid‑February. 

Here's what we know about the unprecedented medical evacuation:

Who is the sick astronaut on the ISS?

NASA is deliberately trying to keep the name of the affected astronaut confidential, citing medical privacy practices. During the Jan. 8 briefing, officials didn't disclose identifying information — not even slipping up with any gendered pronouns in their comments. 

What we do know is that just prior to the announcement of the medical evacuation, NASA had canceled a scheduled spacewalk — a venture outside the space station — specifically because of the medical concern that arose Wednesday afternoon. NASA astronauts Fincke and Cardman were expected to perform that operation, related to an installation of solar panels.

JAXA, NASA's Japanese space counterpart, released a statement that clarified Yui is not the crew member dealing with the health issue, according to Japanese news reports. 

What is the medical condition on the ISS?

Though NASA’s chief health and medical officer J.D. Polk said he wouldn't talk specifics about a diagnosis, he and other officials repeatedly referred to the circumstance as "serious." 

NASA has only confirmed that the astronaut is now "stable," but officials haven't said if there was ever a time when the astronaut was not stable. They declined to provide enough details to infer that. 

When asked whether physical preparations for the spacewalk were involved in the problem, Dr. Polk clarified that it was unrelated to pre-breathing procedures. Before a spacewalk, astronauts breathe pure oxygen for a set period to flush nitrogen out of their bloodstream. 

Inside the space station, air is like Earth's, with a mix of nitrogen and oxygen. In the spacesuit, the pressure is much lower and mostly oxygen. A sudden switch from one to the other could cause the dissolved nitrogen in a person's body to form bubbles and cause the bends, like in scuba diving. Pre-breathing is intended to reduce the risk of decompression sickness. 

"This actually had nothing to do with the operational environment in preparing for a spacewalk at all," Dr. Polk said. "This was totally unrelated to any operations on board."

Dr. Polk also emphasized that the medical issue wasn't an injury in the course of work, though he stopped short of saying whether it was some other kind of injury. 

"It's mostly having a medical issue in the difficult areas of microgravity," he said. 

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke checks communication and power systems in his pressurized spacesuit 10 days before a spacewalk planned for Jan. 8, 2026. Credit: NASA

What medical emergencies have happened before? 

Astronauts have handled many medical issues over a quarter-century at the space station, but most fall in the category of urgent-care problems, like toothaches and ear pain. 

Public reports also describe astronauts managing minor injuries and infections, back pain, motion sickness, headaches, and vision changes with telemedicine and the onboard medical kit. They've even dealt with a blood clot in the neck, treating it with injections of a blood-thinning drug and later oral medication, once it arrived on a cargo resupply ship.

"We've had many models … that have said we should have had a medical evacuation approximately every three years in that 25-year history," Dr. Polk said. 

Is the astronaut evacuation an emergency?

Technically speaking, no. NASA describes it as a "controlled expedited return," not an emergency deorbit for the crew. That might seem like semantics, but the difference indicates the situation's perceived level of severity.

An emergency deorbit would mean departing the station as soon as possible, regardless of the landing timing, sea conditions, weather, and other risks, which NASA is capable of doing, Isaacman said. An expedited return, on the other hand, sticks to approved landing zones and mission rules. The latter type of departure indicates the astronaut's life isn't considered in immediate danger.

Despite the crew member remaining stable, NASA wants to bring the person home because the station lacks the full diagnostic hardware normally found in a hospital, officials said.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts participate in a water survival demonstration at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in April 2025. Credit: NASA / James Blair

When will the SpaceX Dragon return to Earth?

NASA will attempt to undock the ship at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET Jan. 14, pending weather and recovery conditions. That should put the crew on track to splash down off the coast of California at about 12:40 a.m. PT / 3:40 a.m. ET Jan. 15. Live coverage of the hatch closing should begin at noon PT / 3 p.m. ET Jan. 14. After the undocking event, the broadcast will resume with return coverage at 11:15 p.m. PT Jan. 14 / 2:15 a.m. ET Jan. 15. A couple of hours after landing, NASA will hold a news briefing.

The splashdown itself should look pretty standard, according to the agency. NASA intends to use the normal recovery convoy to pick up the crew. Every Dragon ship is outfitted with emergency gear, and flight surgeons are always on the recovery ship for every landing, with contingency hospitals waiting on standby when astronauts return. 

"This is no different in that respect," Dr. Polk said. 

The Moon is now in its Third Quarter, which means it’s half-illuminated and half in shadow. There's still lots to see on its surface for the time being, so keep reading to find out what you can spot.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Jan. 10, the Moon phase is Third Quarter. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 51% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

If you look carefully, there should be lots to see tonight. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to catch a glimpse of the Mare Imbrium, Copernicus Crater the Aristarchus Plateau. If you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, Alphonsus Crater, and the Mare Humorum. If you have a telescope, set it up and you'll see the Apollo 14 landing spot and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

NASA explains that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full orbit, a period known as the lunar cycle. As it moves around Earth, the Moon goes through a series of distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the sunlight hitting it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear fully lit, partially lit, or completely dark at different times. The lunar cycle includes eight main phases:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

A new telescope in Chile has discovered a rapid asteroid as wide as eight football fields, making full spins in less than two minutes. 

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, built to repeatedly photograph the entire southern sky, had not yet begun its full scientific mission when it found asteroid 2025 MN45. Even so, during a brief test run, the telescope started to reveal the smallest worlds in space.

Over seven nights, Rubin's large digital camera recorded hundreds of thousands of images. In those images, astronomers identified more than 2,100 previously unknown asteroids. By watching how their brightness changed from one image to the next, researchers could measure how fast they spun and what kinds of surfaces they had.

Located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, 2025 MN45 is the fastest-spinning large asteroid detected so far by a long shot, said Sarah Greenstreet, a National Science Foundation NOIRLab astronomer, who presented the discovery at the 247th American Astronomical Society meeting in Phoenix this week. The previously known fast rotators complete a turn in about one hour, with some others spinning around in 30 minutes, though those asteroids had less-reliable data, she told Mashable. 

"If you were standing on this ultra-fast spinning asteroid, you'd be traveling at nearly 45 mph," Greenstreet said. 

Asteroids are leftover building blocks from the birth of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago. By studying how they spin, what they’re made of, and how they break and reform, scientists learn how planets — including Earth — came to be.

These findings are among the first Rubin observations published in a scientific journal, appearing in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. They already reveal a population of asteroids that had barely been sampled before. As the survey continues, discoveries like these may reshape scientists' understanding of asteroids' collisions, internal compositions, and the early solar system itself.

In particular, the initial results suggest that crashes may not be the only way asteroids reach extreme speeds, perhaps pressing astronomers to develop new explanations.

An asteroid doesn't shine on its own, but reflects sunlight. Most have lumpy, irregular shapes, so as they spin, different surfaces catch the light, causing their brightness to rise and fall in a repeating pattern. From that pattern, scientists can measure how long it takes an asteroid to rotate.

For decades, astronomers believed they understood the spin barrier. Most asteroids larger than a few hundred yards were thought to be loose piles of rock, held together by gravity. Spin them up too fast, and those bits should fling apart. That limit corresponds to a rotation time of about two hours, Greenstreet said.

But Rubin’s early data is confounding. Among the newly discovered asteroids, researchers identified 76 with reliable spin measurements. Nineteen of them rotated faster than the long-accepted limit, and three, including 2025 MN45, rotated in less than five minutes.

Astronomers discovered 2025 MN45, a 710-meter-wide asteroid in the main asteroid belt with a spin of less than two minutes, during a test run of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory last spring. Credit: RubinObs / NOIRLab / SLAC / AURA / P. Marenfeld illustration

To remain intact, the 710-meter-wide asteroid must be made of solid rock, Greenstreet said, likely a chunk of the dense core of a larger object. A cosmic collision could have broken it free and sent it on its wild rampage. 

"Determining the parent body of this fastest-rotating asteroid would be quite difficult," she told Mashable. "It's also quite possible that its parent body was catastrophically disrupted, completely breaking apart, during the collision."

Though 2025 MN45 is the reigning champion for speed right now, that may not be the case for long. Astronomers believe the telescope may find lots of these in the near future. 

"With their distance away, there's a lot of the asteroid population in the main belt that we haven't been able to study before," Greenstreet said at the meeting, "but the Rubin Observatory is now just allowing us to start to get a chance to see." 

We're nearly at the Third Quarter, which means the Moon is almost half gone from sight. This will be the second-to-last phase before we reach the New Moon, where it will disappear from sight completely.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Jan. 9, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 61% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

You don't need any visual aids to spot features on the Moon's surface, with just your naked eye you'll be able to catch a glimpse of the Mares Imbrium and Vaporum, as well as the Aristarchus Plateau. If you do have visual aids, binoculars will help you see the Grimaldi Basin, Apennine Mountains, and the Mare Humorum, and a telescope will bring the Apollo 14 landing spot, Schiller Crater, and Rima Ariadaeus into view.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

NASA explains that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full orbit, a period known as the lunar cycle. As it moves around Earth, the Moon goes through a series of distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the sunlight hitting it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear fully lit, partially lit, or completely dark at different times. The lunar cycle includes eight main phases:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Astronomers have turned a famous star explosion into a 25‑year time‑lapse, using a NASA telescope to watch the superheated gas race through space and slam into its surroundings. 

The new study using the Chandra X-ray Observatory tracks how different parts of the shockwave slow down in different directions, turning this 400‑year‑old relic into a laboratory for how supernovas work.

The stakes go beyond a striking movie, which you can watch further down in this story. 

The explosion, known as Kepler’s Supernova Remnant, was a kind of exploding star that astronomers use to measure cosmic distances because it gives off a predictable brightness. By watching how this shock front changes speed, researchers can learn how the messy, real environments of so-called Type Ia supernovas shape their behavior.

The observations also help refine how much astronomers can trust Type Ia supernovas as cosmic yardsticks.

"It's important that we understand these events because (they help) cosmologists measure the expansion of the universe," said Jessye Gassel, a George Mason University graduate student who presented the results at the 247th American Astronomical Society meeting in Phoenix this week. "There's still a lot unknown about these Type Ia explosions and how they happen."

German astronomer Johannes Kepler first spotted this supernova remnant in the constellation Ophiuchus in 1604. At the time, Kepler believed it was a new star, but scientists now know it as the dazzling aftermath of a star explosion roughly 17,000 light-years from Earth. 

It's the last clearly observed supernova in the Milky Way, Gassel said. 

Astronomer Johannes Kepler first saw the supernova remnant in the "foot" of the constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, in 1604. Credit: Universal History Archive / Universal Images Group / Getty Images illustration

Chandra-X has looked at the remnant since 2000, capturing about 6 percent of its lifetime. Gassel's team stitched those observations into the longest X‑ray movie the telescope has ever made, showing its evolution from 2000 to 2025. Frame by frame, the outer shell swells, revealing bright filaments where the shockwave — the high‑speed front of material and energy from the explosion — invades surrounding gas, heating it to millions of degrees.

Over the course of the quarter-century that the telescope has watched the aftermath, the shockwave has covered a great distance, traveling half a light-year, or about 3 trillion miles. 

The team measured how fast this border moves in different regions. In some directions, the blast surges ahead at roughly 14 million mph. In others, it slows to about 4 million mph. That contrast suggests the explosion is not expanding into uniform, empty space. Instead, one side runs into relatively thin gas, while the other rams into much thicker material. 

You could think of it like a jeep excursion. In one direction, it has a clear highway to traverse. In another, it's off-roading. The jeep with the paved road can drive much faster than the jeep slogging through mud. 

"Kepler Supernova Remnant is pretty spherical, but since we know that there (are) different densities surrounding it, we wouldn't expect it," Gassel said. "What's happening is, even though there are different densities that the blast wave (is) running into, the location of where the star exploded is actually moving, instead of having a warped shape at the edges." 

The pattern reflects what the star system was doing before it blew up. A Type Ia supernova occurs when a white dwarf — the Earth‑sized core of a dead star — orbits a companion star. As that system evolves, it can shed gas into the space around it. The uneven shock speeds in Kepler’s remnant map out how much material piled up in different directions, providing a record of the system’s history.

Though Type Ia supernovas remain reliable distance markers for the universe's expansion, they're not all perfectly identical. This kind of study can help scientists understand how the local environment can account for subtle differences. 

Because the Chandra-X mission won't go on forever, astronomers may only have another decade to watch the supernova remnant unfold. But successors, such as the potential AXIS X-ray satellite, could continue to monitor this and other explosions. 

The Moon looks a little different each night as it moves through its cycle. Tonight, it’s in the waning gibbous phase, meaning it's more than half lit up, so there’s plenty to see in the sky.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, Jan. 8, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 71% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

If you don't have any visual aids, not to worry, there's still lots to see tonight, including the you'll be able to spot the Mares Serenitatis and Vaporum as well as the Tycho Crater. With binoculars you'll also see the the Gassendi and Alphonsus Craters, and the Mare Nectaris. Add a telescope to your lineup if you want to spot even more, including the as the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Descartes Highlands.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

NASA explains that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete a full orbit, a period known as the lunar cycle. As it moves around Earth, the Moon goes through a series of distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the sunlight hitting it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear fully lit, partially lit, or completely dark at different times. The lunar cycle includes eight main phases:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

For more than a century, Betelgeuse has looked like a star with a secret.

It swells and fades on a six-year rhythm that never quite made sense. The star, about 650 light-years away in space, is old, bloated, and unstable, but not unstable enough to explain its slow pulse. 

The answer might be simpler than expected. Betelgeuse, pronounced "Beetlejuice" just like the Tim Burton film, appears to have company, traveling within its own atmosphere.

Astronomers have previously speculated that the red supergiant, once thought to be on the brink of supernova, has a companion. Another star circling it could explain its strange changes in brightness. 

Though researchers continue to seek a direct detection of the star that will prove its existence beyond a shadow of a doubt, scientists are celebrating new evidence from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. A team led by Andrea Dupree, a Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics scientist, observed ripples in Betelgeuse’s atmosphere, like the wake from a speed boat, caused by a passing star.

If this new finding, soon to be published in The Astrophysical Journal, holds up to further scrutiny, it would change how astronomers understand one of the sky’s most famous stars. Betelgeuse would no longer be thought of as a solitary giant drifting toward its final collapse. It would be part of a binary system — a Goliath with its own David: a star smaller than the sun is having an outsize impact on the giant. 

The companion star, recently dubbed Siwarha, solves a major problem for scientists, said Dupree, who presented the research at the 247th American Astronomical Society meeting in Phoenix this week. 

"Betelgeuse is spinning too rapidly for a supergiant. It should slow down as it becomes large, but it has a fast rotation," she told Mashable in an email. "The companion is believed to have sped up Betelgeuse by transferring angular momentum to the big star."

Angular momentum is the measure of an object's spinning power, which remains steady unless something pushes or pulls on it. 

On its own, Siwarha is nothing too dramatic. Perhaps it's a red dwarf, dim and diminutive compared to Betelgeuse. 

"The companion is thought to be a low-mass star," said Dupree, estimating its mass as somewhere between half and 1 ½ times that of the sun. "There are no X-rays detected, so it is not a black hole or neutron star or accreting young star. By the way stars evolve, it is not thought to be a white dwarf, either."

A NASA-led team announced it got a picture of the companion with the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, but the complicated imaging technique the researchers used left room for doubt, Dupree said. 

A separate team of researchers used a complicated technique to image a companion star around Betelgeuse, but some astronomers say those results were uncertain. Credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / M. Zamani

What makes the star remarkable is its location. Siwarha appears to orbit so close that it never leaves Betelgeuse’s atmosphere. It sails through a turbulent sea of hot gas that extends far beyond the star’s visible surface.

As it moves, the companion leaves a trail. Gas piles up behind it, thickens, heats, and slowly expands across Betelgeuse’s face. From Earth, that wake obscures the star, reducing the light it sends out. Halfway through the orbit, when the wake has peaked, Betelgeuse is at its faintest point. Then the gas thins out, the star brightens again, and the cycle continues.

The entire star seems to react to the pattern. The surface, the atmosphere, and the surrounding gas all change on the same six-year schedule. That kind of coordination is hard to explain with solar storms alone. A companion provides a single, consistent source.

The team detected Siwarha’s wake by tracking changes in Betelgeuse's starlight over eight years.

The significance goes beyond Betelgeuse itself. If confirmed, this would be one of the clearest examples of catching a star as it spirals into its companion. Astronomers think many stars die this way, but the brief phase is easy to miss. 

The companion is currently hidden behind Betelgeuse, lost in the glare. But astronomers expect it to reappear in 2027 as its orbit carries it back into view. 

From our view, the Moon is changing every night, shifting through the lunar cycle as different portions of its sunlit side become visible. But what does that mean for tonight's Moon? Keep reading to find out.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Jan. 7, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 80% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

There's lots to see tonight when you look up. Without any visual aids you'll be able to spot the Mares Imbrium and Tranquillitatis as well as the Kepler Crater. With binoculars you'll also see the the Gassendi and Alphonsus Craters, and the Mare Nectaris. Add a telescope to your lineup if you want to spot even more, including the as the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Schiller Crater, and the Descartes Highlands.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon completes one full orbit of its phases in around 29.5 days, a period referred to as the lunar cycle. As the Moon travels around the Earth, it passes through a sequence of distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion lit by the Sun changes depending on its position in orbit. This variation in sunlight is what causes the Moon to appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The lunar cycle is made up of eight phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Despite being just three days after the Full Moon, the Moon is already starting to look a lot smaller in the sky. This is because of where it is in the lunar cycle, a 29.5-day process where the Moon completes its orbit.

Keep reading to find out what tonight’s Moon is doing and what phase you can spot in the sky.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Jan. 6, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 87% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

That means there is enough of its surface lit up that there's plenty for keen moon-gazers to see. Without any visual aids you'll be able to spot the Mare Imbrium, Aristarchus Plateau, and the Copernicus Crater. With binoculars you'll see much more, including the Alps Mountains (a mountain range at the northeast of the Mare Imbrium, not the ones in Europe), the Apennine Mountains, and the Mare Humorum.

Add a telescope to your lineup if you want to spot even more, such as the Apollo 15 and 17 landing spots and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that the Moon completes one full orbit of its phases in about 29.5 days, a period referred to as the lunar cycle. As the Moon travels around the Earth, it passes through a sequence of distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion lit by the Sun changes depending on its position in orbit. This variation in sunlight is what causes the Moon to appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The lunar cycle is made up of eight phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

In the beginning, not all amateur galaxies were winners. Scientists have now found one of the duds that just couldn't hack it in the wild early days of the universe. 

Near the spindly spiral galaxy Messier-94, about 14 million light-years away in space, astronomers have found a small, spherical ghost town. For years, scientists have looked for evidence of such a phantom, proposed by theory. It wasn’t until they pointed NASA's Hubble Space Telescope at the cloud that they discovered the first example of a primitive galaxy that never had the gumption to form stars. 

Radio telescopes first picked up its faint signal of neutral hydrogen in 2023. Scientists gave it a name, Cloud-9 — and it was indeed the ninth cloud detected around M94 — then wondered what exactly held this thing together.

Before Hubble, researchers could rationalize that the object was merely a tiny dim galaxy whose stars were just too faint to see through the eyes of ground-based telescopes, said Gagandeep Anand, a staff scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. 

"But with Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys, we're able to nail down that there's nothing there," he said in a statement.

Neutral hydrogen — that's ordinary hydrogen whose electrons haven't been stripped away — could not hold Cloud-9 together. The mysterious object, about 4,900 light-years wide, contains about 1 million suns' worth of hydrogen — not nearly enough to keep the cloud from scattering. 

That means something unseen must provide the weight. The simplest answer, according to the research team, is dark matter, the invisible scaffolding thought to manage nearly all cosmic construction. Their findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Left: Swipe the slider bar to the left to reveal Cloud-9 amid this blank field of space. Credit: NASA / ESA / VLA / Gagandeep Anand / Alejandro Benitez-Llambay / Joseph DePasquale

Right: The Very Large Array telescope detected radio emissions from Cloud-9, indicated here in magenta. The circled area, where scientists found peak radio data, contained no stars. The specks of light in this image come from background galaxies. Credit: NASA / ESA / VLA / Gagandeep Anand / Alejandro Benitez-Llambay / Joseph DePasquale

Because studies strongly indicate that Cloud-9 is a starless, gas-rich, dark-matter halo, it provides precious insight into the mysterious-yet-pervasive substance in the universe, said Andrew Fox, a co-author affiliated with the European Space Agency. 

"This cloud is a window into the dark universe," Fox said in a statement. "We know from theory that most of the mass in the universe is expected to be dark matter, but it’s difficult to detect this dark material because it doesn’t emit light."

Scientists have theorized that dark matter clumps exist in staggering numbers, far more than the galaxies we see. Only clumps that exceed a certain threshold in mass should hold onto gas and ignite stars. Below it, gravity loses its tug-of-war with heat and radiation, and star formation can't occur. 

Based on this prediction, many galaxy failures — gassy spheres devoid of stars — should exist. Astronomers have hunted for proof for years. Most candidates reveal themselves, sooner or later, as ordinary gas clouds in the Milky Way or as faint galaxies hiding their stars. 

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

But Cloud-9 is different. Its gas moves serenely through space. It shows no sign of spinning into a disk, which usually means stars are around. Its mass places it close to that theoretical boundary where a galaxy should either eke out — or not form at all.

The team did not stop at Hubble. They ran many computer simulations, planting fictitious galaxies of varying sizes into the data to test whether the observatory could have detected them. If Cloud-9 contained even a paucity of stars, the telescope would have seen it, according to the study.

No glittering swarm. No smear of light. Researchers calculated that Cloud-9’s dark matter must be equal to about 5 billion suns in mass. It appears to stand at the very precipice of galaxyhood, said Alejandro Benitez-Llambay, the study's principal investigator. 

"In science, we usually learn more from the failures than from the successes," said Benitez-Llambay, a scientist at Milano-Bicocca University in Italy, in a statement. "In this case, seeing no stars is what proves the theory right." 

Tonight the Moon is continuing to wane, meaning less of its sunlit side is visible from Earth than the night before. The lit up side will keep decreasing over the coming days until the New Moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Jan. 5, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to The Sky Live, 95% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that the Moon completes one full orbit of its phases in about 29.5 days, a period referred to as the lunar cycle. As the Moon travels around the Earth, it passes through a sequence of distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion lit by the Sun changes depending on its position in orbit. This variation in sunlight is what causes the Moon to appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The lunar cycle is made up of eight phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Now that we've passed the Full Moon phase, the Moon will be getting smaller each night as we move towards the New Moon. This marks the beginning of the waning phase.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Jan. 4, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to The Sky Live, 98.6% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to complete a full cycle. This cycle is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Astronomers have confirmed for the first time with direct evidence that a lone, starless world is actually drifting through the Milky Way. 

Though scientists have documented a dozen of these so-called "rogue planets" in the past decade, this one isn't merely an educated guess based on a handful of clues. By catching the same brief cosmic alignment from Earth and space, researchers were able to directly measure the celestial object’s mass. 

In doing so, they found this orphan is within the same weight class as Saturn, strengthening the case that the galaxy teems with castaway exoplanets — born within solar systems but chucked out later into the abyss, said Subo Dong, a professor of astronomy at Peking University in Beijing.  

The finding, published in the journal Science, suggests at least some so-called "rogue planets" form like regular planets before their violent expulsion.  

"For the first time, we have a direct measurement of a rogue planet candidate’s mass and not just a rough statistical estimate," said Dong, who led the study, in a statement. "We know for sure it's a planet."

Researchers determined the planet's mass by observing a fleeting event from both Earth and space, overcoming a long-standing obstacle in the study of wandering planets.

These rogues are difficult to detect because they give off little light and do not orbit stars. Astronomers have only ever spotted them through gravitational microlensing, which occurs when an object passes in front of a distant star and briefly magnifies the star’s light through gravity. The detectable flicker can last from hours to days, then disappears.

Scientists were able to measure the distance and mass of the rogue planet using the principles of parallax, which gives humans depth perception. Credit: Yu Jingchuan illustration

"Without a host star, common detection techniques, such as the transit method — finding an exoplanet (a planet outside of the solar system) by observing slight dimming of a star’s light as a planet passes in front of it — cannot be used," wrote Gavin A. L. Coleman, a Queen Mary University of London researcher, in a related commentary. "Currently, the only technique available to discover rogue planets is gravitational microlensing." 

But until now, microlensing observations could not clearly determine the distance to these planets, making it difficult to independently calculate their masses. That ambiguity left scientists relying on speculative estimates, raising questions about whether the sources were indeed planets or small failed stars called brown dwarfs. Some experts have even considered whether the objects are something else entirely unknown.

The new result comes from a microlensing event in May 2024. Ground-based observatories detected a short, two-day brightening of a star toward the bulging center of the galaxy. By chance, the European Space Agency's Gaia star-surveying spacecraft — about 1 million miles from Earth — also watched the event.

The two vantage points made it possible to measure microlens parallax, an effect similar to human depth perception. People can sense depth because a scene looks slightly different from each of their eyes, based on the space between the pair.

"We are able to use the same principle to extract the distance information of this rogue planet candidate, finding the mass and distance separately," Dong said. "The difference is that the spacing between the eyes of we humans is a few centimeters."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The timing of the event was seen about two hours apart by the ground-based telescopes and Gaia. That delay revealed the object’s distance and, combined with other measurements, its mass.

The object is about 22 percent of Jupiter’s mass and lies roughly 9,800 light-years away. No host star appeared in the data, further indicating that the planet is either free-floating or on one super vast orbit rendering its distant star undetectable.

The planet’s relatively low mass is key because objects several times heavier than Jupiter — brown dwarfs — can form in isolation, like small stars. But an object akin to Saturn is far more likely to have formed in a planet-forming disk around a star, then later turned loose. That ouster likely happened through cosmic collisions, close encounters with other worlds, or the capricious gravitational influence of an unstable star. 

The study gives credence to the idea that planet ejection is a common occurrence in planet formation. Future missions, including NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, are expected to dramatically increase the known rogue planets and help clarify how often worlds are sent astray. If they're abundant, perhaps developing solar systems are routinely losing one or two worlds in the process.

"So far," Dong said, "we only have a glimpse into this emerging population of rogue worlds and what light they can shed on the formation of the bodies in the planetary systems of the universe."

It's the Full Moon tonight, and the fourth consecutive supermoon. Full Moons all have their own names, and January's is traditionally known as the 'Wolf Moon'.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, Jan. 3, the moon phase is Full Moon. According to The Sky Live, 100% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to complete a full cycle. This cycle is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

We're just a day away from the Full Moon, and it’s already starting to light up the night sky. If you look closely, you might catch some of the bigger craters and dark patches on its surface.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Jan. 2, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to The Sky Live, 98.9% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to complete a full cycle. This cycle is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Astronomers have found a planet-forming disk that looks like a solar system on steroids. 

New images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have revealed an enormous, oddly shaped disk of gas and dust around a single massive star or pair of stars about 1,000 light-years away in space. This thing spans nearly 400 billion miles — 40 times the width of everything around the sun, including the outer edge of the Kuiper Belt of comets.

The telescope has captured the system from its side profile, allowing researchers to study its structure in unusual detail. This makes the object, known as IRAS 23077+6707, a sort of laboratory for the planet-making industry, said Kristina Monsch, lead author of the new paper, which was published in The Astrophysical Journal. 

And what researchers found was that making new worlds can be a messy business. 

"Planet nurseries can be much more active and chaotic than we expected," said Monsch, an astronomer with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, in a statement. 

What is a protoplanetary disk?

So-called "protoplanetary disks" form naturally when stars are born. They supply the raw material that later becomes exoplanets, moons, and smaller bodies, like asteroids and comets. To understand how planetary systems develop, scientists need to know how these disks are structured inside and how that structure changes over time.

When disks are seen almost exactly from the side, like this one, it's especially valuable. From this angle, the disk itself blocks the star’s direct light, like placing your hand in front of a bright lamp. This makes the disk appear as a dark band across the middle, with bright regions above and below where light scatters off dust. 

That's why the researchers say IRAS 23077+6707 resembles a burger (though we prefer the image of a macaron cookie, in an elegant pastel hue). The researchers — one of whom calls Transylvania home and another from Uruguay, where the national dish is a sandwich called a chivito — have dubbed it "Dracula's Chivito" to reflect their heritage.  

Hubble's vantage point allowed scientists to observe how material is distributed around the central star or stars. The amount of dust and size of the grains, as well as how the dust interacts with gas and is vertically stacked, all influence what kinds of planets can eventually form.

What astronomers saw in Dracula's Chivito was surprising. Smoky wisps rise high above the disk instead of settling into a flat layer. Long, thread-like filaments stretch outward on one side of the disk but not the other. Its lopsided brightness and shape also change depending on the light wavelength observed, showing that different kinds of dust are arranged at different heights.

The largest forming solar system disk

In theory, Dracula's Chivito could host a vast planetary system, Monsch said. The disk's mass is estimated at 10 to 30 times that of Jupiter — ample material for forming multiple gas giants.

This diagram depicts Dracula's Chivita, a distant planet-forming disk of dust and its surrounding structures, at different wavelengths of light. Credit: Kristina Monsch et al. / DOI 10.3847/1538-4357/ae247f

But the images do not reveal whether planets are already forming, or how many might eventually appear. Instead, they show something more fundamental: The environment where planets grow may stay off-balance and active far longer than anyone thought. Because the researchers didn't see any jets of material shooting away from the system, the disk is believed to be relatively mature, no longer pulling in bulk material from its surroundings.

Despite its age, Dracula's Chivito still essentially looks like a work in progress. Future observations with other telescopes might help astronomers find out whether this sprawling, imbalanced disk will eventually settle down, said Joshua Bennett Lovell, a co-investigator from the Center for Astrophysics. 

"We were stunned to see how asymmetric this disk is," Lovell said in a statement. "Hubble has given us a front row seat to the chaotic processes that are shaping disks as they build new planets — processes that we don't yet fully understand but can now study in a whole new way."

It's the first Moon of the new year, and we're just a couple of days away from the Full Moon. It's nice and bright tonight, so if you have a clear sky, enjoy the show.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Jan. 1, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to The Sky Live, 94% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, it takes roughly 29.5 days for the Moon to complete a full cycle, known as the lunar cycle. During this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The first Full Moon of 2026 is keeping the supermoon streak alive. After a string of them to end 2025, we get one more to kick off the new year. October, November, and December all saw beautiful, large moons in the sky, and January will be no different.

A supermoon is really what the name suggests, a Full Moon that appears bigger and brighter in the sky than usual, perfect for late-night stargazing. There's lots happening with the January Full Moon, so keep reading to find out what it means.

When is the January Full Moon?

January's full Moon will occur on Saturday, Jan. 3. Time and Date estimates it will peak at 5:02 a.m. ET.

What is the January full Moon called?

Full Moons all have their own names, and January's is traditionally known as the 'Wolf Moon'. Time and Date explains that this is because wolves were typically thought to be more active, and howling, in January.

January's Full Moon is also another supermoon, the fourth in a row. It will appear bigger and brighter in the sky because it sits closer to Earth in its orbit. A supermoon occurs when the Moon reaches its full phase at or near lunar perigee, the point where it comes closest to our planet, which creates a noticeably larger view, Royal Museums Greenwich tells us.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to occur on Feb. 1, 2026.

What are the lunar phases?

The Full Moon is just one of eight phases in the Moon’s 29.5-day orbit around Earth. All of the different phases show how much of its surface is lit up from our point of view. We always see the same side of the Moon, but as it moves around Earth, the sunlight falls on it differently, so that's why sometimes we see it looking full, sometimes half, and sometimes it looks like it has disappeared completely.

The phases are:

• New Moon — The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

• Waxing Crescent — A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

• First Quarter — Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

• Waxing Gibbous — More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

• Full Moon — The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

• Waning Gibbous — The moon starts losing light on the right side.

• Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) — Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

• Waning Crescent — A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's the last Moon of the year, and it's putting on a show. It's so close to being full, so there's plenty you can see when you look up tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Dec. 31, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 88% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mares Fecunditatis and Serenitatis, and Vaporum. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Mare Nectaris, and the Clavius Crater. With a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 14 and 15 landing spots and the Rima Hyginus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, it takes roughly 29.5 days for the Moon to complete a full cycle, known as the lunar cycle. During this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

There’s just a few days left of 2025, and tonight is one of the last Moons of the year. If we're lucky enough to have a cloudless sky, there's plenty we can see when we look up tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Dec. 30, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 79% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mares Fecunditatis and Serenitatis, and Imbrium. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Alps Mountains, and the Apennine Mountains. With a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 11 landing spot, the Descartes Highlands, and the Rima Hyginus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, it takes roughly 29.5 days for the Moon to complete a full cycle, known as the lunar cycle. During this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

We're just a few days from the end of the year, and the next Full Moon. This means that the Moon is big and bright in the sky, with lots to see on its surface.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Dec. 29, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 69% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

If it's a clear sky tonight, there should be lots for you to see. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mares Fecunditatis and Serenitatis, and the Copernicus Crater. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Alps Mountains, and the Apennine Mountains. With a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 11 landing spot, the Descartes Highlands, and the Fra Mauro Highlands.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, it takes roughly 29.5 days for the Moon to complete a full cycle, known as the lunar cycle. During this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

We're now in the Gibbous period of the Moon's lunar phase, which means we're just a few days away from the Full Moon. There's lots for you to see tonight on its surface, so keep scroll down to see what you'll be able to spot.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Dec. 28, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 58% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

There's more than half of the moon on display tonight, so there's lots to see. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mares Fecunditatis and Serenitatis, and the Tycho Crater. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Archimedes Crater, and the Apennine Mountains. With a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 11 landing spot, the Descartes Highlands, and the Linne Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, it takes roughly 29.5 days for the Moon to complete a full cycle, known as the lunar cycle. During this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's a new lunar phase tonight, the First Quarter. This is when half of the moon is lit on the right side.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, Dec. 27, the moon phase is First Quarter. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 47% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

Without any visual aids, you can spot the Mares Crisium, Fecunditatis, and Serenitatis tonight. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater and the Posidonius Crater. With a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 17 landing spot, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Rima Hyginus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The Moon is now a few days into the new cycle, so there is plenty to see when you look up in the sky tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Dec. 26, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 37% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

Without any visual aids, you can spot the Mares Crisium, Fecunditatis, and Serenitatis tonight. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater and the Posidonius Crater. To see even more, pull out a telescope and you'll spot the Apollo 11 and 17 landing spots and the Rupes Altai.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's day five of the lunar cycle, and the Christmas Day moon is starting to show us even more. Keep reading to find out what you can see tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Dec. 25, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 27% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

Without any visual aids, you can spot the Mares Crisium and the Fecunditatis tonight. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, and with a telescope, the Apollo 11 and 17 landing spots come into view.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's day four of the lunar cycle, which means the Moon is starting to come back into view. In fact, each night it will get bigger and brighter as we approach the Full Moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Dec. 24, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 18% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

Without any visual aids, you can spot the Mares Crisium and the Fecunditatis tonight. If you add binoculars or a telescope, you'll also be able to see the Endymion Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

In Apple TV’s Pluribus, a faint radio signal from deep space reshapes humanity, and the source, astronomers learn, is Kepler-22b, a world that exists far beyond our solar system. 

During episode 8, Carol and Zosia look for its star through a telescope. 

"I’m not sure I’m looking in the right spot," Carol says. "I mean, I see the Swan, I think."

After getting her bearings — and Zosia eliminating the light pollution by turning off all the lights — Carol announces she sees the star, Kepler-22. 

"And the planet, which you can’t see, is Kepler-22b. That’s our name for it. We have no idea what they call it," Zosia says. "Sometimes we close our eyes and try to picture it."

For fans wondering how much science sits behind the fiction, the answer is more than you might think. But what we actually know about this real exoplanet is far less than scientists would like. (We don't have a hive mind working it.)

Is Kepler-22b a real planet?

NASA discovered Kepler-22b in 2009 using data from its namesake, the Kepler Space Telescope, a mission designed to look for planets around other stars. Other observatories were used to confirm the findings in 2011. 

But Kepler did not grab a photo of the planet. Instead, it watched for tiny dips in a star’s brightness. When a planet crosses in front of its star, it blocks a small amount of light. Catch that dimming a few times at regular intervals, and astronomers can validate the existence of a planet. This is called the "transit method" of planet detection, but you can think of it as watching for cosmic blinks.

"Fortune smiled upon us with the detection of this planet," said William Borucki, who led the team that discovered Kepler-22b, in a statement back then. "The first transit was captured just three days after we declared the spacecraft operationally ready. We witnessed the defining third transit over the 2010 holiday season."

Kepler-22b sits within its star's habitable zone, where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist on a planet's surface. Credit: NASA / Ames / JPL-Caltech infographic

Does Kepler-22b have air and water?

Kepler-22b orbits a star similar to the sun, though it's slightly smaller and cooler. One full trip around that G-type star takes about 290 days — close to Earth’s year. That timing matters, because it places Kepler-22b in what many scientists call the "habitable zone." This is the region around a star where temperatures could allow water to exist on a planet's surface in liquid form, assuming the world has the right kind of atmosphere. Liquid water matters because every form of life people know about depends on it.

That detail helped fuel news headlines calling Kepler-22b a "new Earth" or "Earth's twin" more than a decade ago. But the reality is more complicated.

Kepler-22b is bigger than Earth. Its radius is roughly two times larger. For now, that puts it in a category scientists call a "super-Earth." The name sounds dramatic, but it only means "bigger than Earth, smaller than Neptune." And, no, it's not necessarily a souped-up version of home.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Is Kepler-22b a rocky world like Earth?

In fact, scientists don't know what Kepler-22b is made of. It could be rocky, like Earth. It could be covered by an ocean. Or it could resemble a mini-version of Neptune, wrapped in thick gas with no solid surface at all (although, truth be told, we might not even know Neptune's makeup, as Mashable recently reported). All of those possibilities fit the measurements astronomers can make so far.

Its temperature is also uncertain. Models suggest that if Kepler-22b had an atmosphere similar to Earth’s, its surface could be around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. But atmospheres trap heat differently. A thicker atmosphere like Venus' could make the planet much hotter, causing liquid to evaporate, while a thinner one like Mars' could leave it frigid. 

What makes Kepler-22b special?

What Kepler-22b does represent is a milestone. It was the first confirmed planet squarely inside the habitable zone of a sun-like star. Its discovery showed that planets close to Earth’s size, on Earth-like orbits, are not impossible to find. Kepler went on to identify thousands more candidates, many smaller and cooler than the early finds.

Apple TV's "Pluribus" spotlights Kepler-22b, a real habitable-zone exoplanet discovered by NASA that remains a scientific mystery. Credit: Apple TV

Can a spacecraft visit Kepler-22b?

Pluribus imagines Kepler-22b as an ocean world that sends a gift to humanity through radio waves. In real life, no such signals have arrived, no RNA instructions lurk in the static, and no shared consciousness has helped engineers build a faster-than-light-speed spacecraft. 

The planet's extreme distance from Earth adds a hard limit. Kepler-22b sits about 640 light-years away. At highway speeds of 60 mph, a road trip there would take about 7 billion years. Even the Voyager 1 spacecraft, zooming through interstellar space at 38,000 mph right now, would take 11 million years to get there. 

That's at least one way the show remains loyal to the astronomical facts. Carol asks what the "people" there are like. 

"We’ll probably never learn the first thing about them," Zosia says. "They’re too far away." 

The moon is back into view now, and after a few nights of darkness, if you look hard enough, you should be able to catch a glimpse of come craters of mares.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Dec. 23, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 11% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

With an unaided eye tonight, you can spot the Mares Crisium and the Fecunditatis. If you add binoculars or a telescope, you'll also be able to see the Endymion Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The Moon is coming back from complete darkness, but it's still showing just a hint of light. Over the next few nights, it will get bigger and brighter, and soon we'll be able to spot craters, mares, and other interesting features on its surface.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Dec. 22, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 6% of the moon will be lit up tonight. So little of the Moon is lit up that nothing on its surface is visible tonight. Check back again tomorrow.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The Moon is finally starting to come back into view, which means we're in a new lunar cycle. It will now be getting bigger and brighter each night as we work towards the next Full Moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Dec. 21, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent (if you're in the U.S). According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 2% of the moon will be lit up tonight. With so little of the Moon illuminated, there’s still nothing to see on its surface tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

A debris field comprised of a Starlink satellite's remains is floating through space, after a minor explosion broke off pieces of the tech and sent them tumbling around Earth's orbit.

Space X reported the anomaly earlier this week, which the company said resulted in trackable debris that included the satellite's propulsion tank and the largely intact satellite body, which is still in orbit. SpaceX says the satellite, which the company says isn't close enough to the International Space Station (ISS) to pose a risk to astronauts, will reenter the atmosphere and reach its "demise" in the next week.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

"As the world’s largest satellite constellation operator, we are deeply committed to space safety. We take these events seriously. Our engineers are rapidly working to root cause and mitigate the source of the anomaly and are already in the process of deploying software to our vehicles that increases protections against this type of event," wrote SpaceX.

Earth's orbit is filled with such debris, prompting concern among experts who warn that accumulating space junk will impede our space efforts, lead to greater and more dangerous collisions, and, more importantly, pose increased risk to humans on the ground. Last week, a SpaceX satellite and a satellite from Chinese company CAS Space nearly crashed into each other.

The anomaly comes one week after the aerospace and telecommunications companies launched 27 new Starlink satellites into the Earth's orbit, marking the 580th flight of the company's Falcon 9 rocket since its first successful deployment in 2015 — it was the 162nd flight in 2025 alone, Space reported. Out of more than 10,000 Starlink satellites sent into space, around 9,300 are still active.

The Elon Musk-owned company is continuing a major push to become the leading supplier of rural broadband internet and emergency satellite communications services, including ongoing deals with the U.S. government. SpaceX has struck out against federal funding allocations for fiber internet access projects and courted favor with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an effort to gain priority for satellite internet over other broadband efforts.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has spotted fresh clues around a nearby star that strengthen the case that an object previously seen there was not a planet but an enormous space crash.

A team of astronomers observed a new, faint point of light near the inner edge of a broad ring of dust circling Fomalhaut in 2023. The object closely resembles an earlier detection in the mid-2000s, which gradually faded. 

Both objects appear at locations where scientists would expect debris from high-speed collisions between large planetesimals, the early rocky building blocks of exoplanets. Capturing such a rare event is "amazing," said Paul Kalas, the principal investigator from UC Berkeley. 

Together the two detections provide direct evidence that large cosmic collisions are still happening in mature planetary systems. By observing these impacts almost in real time, scientists can estimate how often these kinds of crashes happen, how much material they release, and how debris disks — and the planets that may emerge from them — continue to evolve long after a star forms.

"This is certainly the first time I’ve ever seen a point of light appear out of nowhere in an exoplanetary system," Kalas said in a statement. "It’s absent in all of our previous Hubble images, which means that we just witnessed a violent collision between two massive objects and a huge debris cloud unlike anything in our own solar system today." 

Fomalhaut lies about 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, aka the Southern Fish, and is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It is surrounded by several belts of dust and debris, material left over from the planet-building process, similar to our solar system’s Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune.

In 2004, Hubble saw a compact source inside this belt, dubbed Fomalhaut b. At the time, scientists debated whether it was a planet surrounded by dust or something else entirely. By 2008, some believed it could be the first exoplanet discovery made with a visible light telescope.

But over the ensuing years, the object’s behavior raised doubts. The mysterious source dimmed instead of brightened, appeared to stretch outward, and eventually vanished. Those changes better matched what scientists would expect from a cloud of debris created when two large bodies smash and then slowly disperse. 

When astronomers had another look at the system nearly 20 years later, they did not see the original object at all. Instead, they found a new source nearby along the same dust ring, suggesting that a second major collision had occurred in roughly the same region. The study results appear in the journal Science.

"What we learned," Kalas said, "is that a large dust cloud can masquerade as a planet for many years."

What's strange is that the team is seeing the two debris clouds in close proximity. If these collisions were haphazard, experts would think they'd appear in totally random places. The researchers also can't yet explain why these two crashes happened within such a short span of time. Previous theories would suggest a collision of this magnitude should only happen once in 100,000 years or so. 

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

"If you had a movie of the last 3,000 years, and it was sped up so that every year was a fraction of a second, imagine how many flashes you'd see over that time," Kalas said. "Fomalhaut’s planetary system would be sparkling with these collisions."

Astronomers propose that a second dust cloud around the nearby star Fomalhaut formed after two massive objects, seen in the first panel, approach and crash into each other. Credit: NASA / ESA / STScI / Ralf Crawford illustration

The dust clouds shine by reflecting starlight, making them visible to telescopes like Hubble. But that same starlight also pushes on the tiny dust grains, causing the clouds to spread outward and fade. This process explains why the first cloud disappeared and why the second may also fade.

Based on the brightness of the debris, researchers estimate that the colliding objects were likely 37 miles wide — larger than most asteroids involved in known crashes in our own solar system. Such impacts release enormous amounts of dust, briefly lighting up otherwise invisible events.

For astronomers, this discovery offers a rare chance to witness the kinds of destructive events that once shaped — and may still shape — planetary systems across the galaxy, said coauthor Mark Wyatt, who is based at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The team looks forward to what additional insight the James Webb Space Telescope, which observes in invisible infrared light, can reveal about the size and makeup of the dust.

"The system is a natural laboratory to probe how planetesimals behave when undergoing collisions," said Wyatt in a statement, "which in turn tells us about what they are made of and how they formed."

Tonight, the Moon is still very thin, marking the start of the waxing crescent phase in the U.S. However, in some parts of the world (depending on the time zone) the New Moon is officially occurring tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, Dec. 20, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent (if you're in the U.S). There is little to be seen tonight, with NASA's Daily Moon Observation stating 0% of the moon will be lit up. So, of course, there's little to no chance of spotting any features on the Moon's surface tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. This is known as the lunar cycle. Throughout this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Astronomers have found a strange world outside the solar system that is ripe for science fiction — but it's all real. 

The exoplanet, dubbed PSR J2322-2650 b, has a helium-and-carbon atmosphere, something researchers say they've never seen before. The air could be full of soot clouds, and deep inside, carbon could even clump together into solid crystals, possibly forming diamonds.

This all takes place on a lemon-shaped planet that is orbiting a pulsar, a special type of neutron star that spins and strobes like a lighthouse in space. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope made the observations.

"Our collective reaction was 'What the heck is this?'" said Peter Gao, a coauthor on the new research based at Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory, in a statement. "It's extremely different from what we expected."

A giant planet as heavy as Jupiter with a carbon-heavy atmosphere, orbiting a dead star, does not fit any known planet model, challenging long-standing ideas about how worlds form and survive. The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, suggest that planetary systems can exist under far more extreme conditions than scientists thought. 

The new research revealed that powerful gravity from its nearby star, which lies about 750 light-years away from Earth, stretches and squeezes the planet into a lemon shape. 

The planet orbits a pulsar, the crushed core left behind after a massive star explodes. This star, PSR J2322-2650, packs roughly the mass of the sun into a space of a city. As it rapidly spins, it sends out steady beams of energy. 

"The planet orbits a star that's completely bizarre," said the University of Chicago’s Michael Zhang, the principal investigator on this study, in a statement.

The planet circles this pulsar at a distance of only about 1 million miles. For comparison, Earth sits close to 100 million miles from the sun. Because that orbit is so tight, a full year on PSR J2322-2650 b lasts less than eight hours. 

When Webb looked at the planet’s atmosphere, scientists expected to see common gases, such as water vapor or methane. Instead, they found helium and simple forms of carbon. This kind of carbon should not exist by itself at such high temperatures, the researchers say, unless almost all oxygen and nitrogen are missing. No other known planet shows this pattern.

Temperatures on the planet range from about 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit on the cooler side to about 3,700 degrees on the hotter side. 

In a binary system 750 light-years away, a pulsar may be stripping material off its exoplanet companion. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Ralf Crawford illustration

The binary system also resembles a rare setup referred to as "a black widow," where a pulsar slowly strips material from a nearby companion. The difference here is that the companion is a planet — not another star.

No known process explains how such a carbon-heavy planet could form. 

"But it's nice to not know everything," said coauthor Roger Romani of Stanford University in a statement. "I'm looking forward to learning more about the weirdness of this atmosphere. It's great to have a puzzle to go after."

In the U.S., the New Moon occurs tonight, Dec. 19, when the Moon is nearly invisible in the night sky, ending the waning crescent phase and beginning a new lunar cycle. However, in other parts of the world, depending on time zone, the New Moon may fall on Dec. 20.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Dec. 19, the moon phase is New Moon (if you're in the U.S). This means 0% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. During this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's hard enough to see a meteorite strike on Earth: Most of the bits of space debris that survive entry into the atmosphere plunge into the ocean, which covers about 70 percent of the planet. 

So imagine how rare it is to spot one from 240,000 miles away. That's what Andrew Marshall-Lee, a doctoral student at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium in the United Kingdom, did last week. He captured the fleeting flash of light from the crash on the moon with the 17-inch Armagh Robotic Telescope on Dec. 12. Though it's not yet clear where on the lunar surface it hit, Marshall-Lee believes it might be northeast of the circular-shaped Langrenus crater.

The video, featured below, shows the tiny spark, a fraction of a second long, blink amid the shadow from the sun. Though the observatory is still investigating the event, the most likely origin of the meteorite is the Geminid meteor shower.

"On that night, I just went to check the scope to make sure everything was working, and I saw it happen with my own eyes," Marshall-Lee told Mashable. "I don’t think I could put a number on how lucky I was."

Here on Earth, about 73,000 pounds of meteor material rain down every day. 

The moon also gets pummeled by tons of rock and dust, but without air to shield it or slow down these meteoroids. That means even tiny pebbles can crash with enormous energy. Astronomers want to better understand how hard and often they hit. Knowing will help scientists predict risks to astronauts and spacecraft, especially any lunar outposts built there in the future. 

A rock no bigger than a golf ball could have caused the recent lunar impact, according to the observatory. At an ultra-high speed, estimated at roughly 78,000 mph, the meteorite could have left a sizable mark. NASA estimates that a 10-pound meteoroid could blast out a crater over 30-feet wide while throwing 165,000 pounds of moondust and debris.  

The above video is courtesy of Andrew Marshall-Lee and the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium.

Even on Earth, with its thick protective atmosphere, small meteoroids can cause immense destruction. An asteroid of 100 to 170 feet across could level a small city, according to NASA. In 2013, a 60-feet meteor actually did come crashing down over Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring some 1,600 people. 

Though a golf ball-sized rock on the moon would be impossible to see from Earth, its kinetic energy rapidly converts into heat and light when it hits the surface. That strike then vaporizes some of the lunar material, which is the source of the flash of light.

This research is crucial for scientists whose work focuses on how to defend Earth from catastrophic collisions. After all, no one wants people to get wiped out like the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. 

But because large meteors are less plentiful, it's challenging to get enough data about their impacts. The moon, on the other hand, provides an enormous target area for watching and observing these rocks, even if they are rare occurrences. Daichi Fujii, a Japanese astronomer who observed two lunar impact flashes in November, said even as he's continuously monitored the moon for the past five years, he has still only recorded one flash for every few dozen hours.

A man watches the Geminid meteor shower over Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire, England, on Dec. 15, 2020. Credit: Danny Lawson / PA Images / Getty Images

Marshall-Lee had recorded about 50 hours this year before capturing the event. The challenge is that there aren't that many observation days. The moon needs to be less than half full so that it doesn't outshine the dark side.

The new video is believed to be the first lunar impact flash recorded from Ireland. That's a feat, considering Northern Ireland doesn't get true "astronomical night" during summer months. In winter, cloud cover prevents a clear view more than 70 percent of the time.

Usually, Marshall-Lee would review the recordings later for any possible lunar impacts. The fact that he caught this one in the act gave him a mix of joy and excitement, followed by trepidation. He had to make sure his eyes weren't just playing tricks on him at 3 a.m.

"To get the needed good conditions lined up with the peak of the Geminid shower is really quite a stroke of luck," he said.

We're close to the New Moon, which means it's almost the beginning of a new lunar cycle. The lunar cycle is the roughly 29.5-day period during which the Moon orbits Earth and appears to change shape as different portions of its sunlit surface become visible from our perspective.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Dec. 17, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means only 2% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

With such a small sliver of moon on display, it's unlikely you'll be able to see anything on it's surface tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. During this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

We're just days away from the New Moon, with the Moon now shrinking to a just a thin sliver of light. This waning phase marks the final stretch of the lunar cycle.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Dec. 17, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means only 6% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you don't have any visual aids, you won't be able to see anything. However, with binoculars and a telescope, you should be able to see the Grimaldi Basin.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one full cycle. During this time, it passes through a series of phases as it orbits Earth. Although the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes, which is why it can appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely invisible at different points in the cycle. This process is divided into eight main lunar phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has found the strongest evidence yet that a small, rocky planet outside our solar system has air, even though it orbits precariously close to its star.

The exoplanet, called TOI-561 b, is less than 1.5 times as wide as Earth and circles its star in less than 11 hours. That's so close — less than 1 million miles away from it in space — one side always faces the star. Having that permanent daylight likely causes the hemisphere to get hot enough to melt rock, bathing the world in a hellish lava ocean.

But what surprised scientists is the alien planet’s lightness. 

"What really sets this planet apart is its anomalously low density," said Johanna Teske, a Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory researcher and the study’s lead author, in a statement. "It’s not a super-puff, but it is less dense than you would expect if it had an Earth-like composition."

If TOI-561 b has an atmosphere, it would mean even rocky exoplanets exposed to the harshest conditions can have air, providing new insights for scientists on the hunt for habitable worlds elsewhere in the galaxy.

At first, the team wondered whether TOI-561 b, a world 280 light-years away, formed with unusual materials. The exoplanet's host is a G-type star like the sun and only slightly smaller, but it's very old with relatively little iron. That may mean the planet has similar chemistry to that of worlds born early in the universe. But that alone could not explain the measurements.

The researchers then tested another idea: What if the planet has a thick atmosphere? To do this, Webb measured how much heat the planet gives off by tracking changes in infrared light as the planet passed behind its star. This method lets scientists estimate surface temperature.

The James Webb Space Telescope is on the hunt for rocky worlds elsewhere in the galaxy with atmospheres. Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez illustration

If the planet were a bald rock with no air to circulate heat, its dayside should reach about 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, Webb measured a much cooler temperature of about 3,200 degrees — still cooking, but far lower than expected. The research team's findings appear in the The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

"We really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations," said Anjali Piette, a coauthor from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, in a statement.

An atmosphere could cool the planet by driving strong winds that move heat to the dark side. Gases such as water vapor could also block some heat from escaping, making the planet appear cooler to the telescope. Bright clouds made of rock-like material may reflect some starlight as well.

The team plans to keep studying the planet to map temperatures across its surface and learn what its atmosphere is made of. Scientists don't yet know how a small planet could hold onto its atmosphere under such intense radiation. One idea some have proposed is that gases may constantly cycle between the lava ocean and the air hanging over it. 

"This planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth," said Tim Lichtenberg, another coauthor. "It’s really like a wet lava ball."

In the spirit of the season, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is changing color as it leaves the sun behind — shifting from a reddish tint to a faint green glow. 

That visible change signals the comet is reacting to solar heat and releasing new gases in space, giving scientists fresh clues about what it is made of and how it behaves.

Astronomers used the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to capture new color images of the comet after it emerged from the other side of the sun on Nov. 26. Earlier images taken from Gemini South in Chile showed the comet looking redder. That ruddy color comes from gases surrounding the comet — called a coma — that heat up and shine as frozen material turns directly into gas, skipping the liquid phase. Some of those gases emit green light, which Gemini’s cameras can detect.

"Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has a post-perihelion greenish glow in time for the holidays," said Bryce Bolin, a research scientist from Eureka Scientific who led the observations, in a post on X. 

Just days later, a space telescope added another piece to the puzzle. The European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton spacecraft observed 3I/ATLAS in X-rays for nearly 20 hours on Dec. 3. X-rays are a very high-energy form of light that human eyes cannot see.

The new observations offer a rare chance to study material from another star system while the comet is still somewhat close. By tracking its changes across multiple types of light, scientists can better identify what it's made of and consider how interstellar objects form. 

Comet 3I/ATLAS came from another part of the galaxy and was later ejected — likely by a gravitational jolt from a planet or passing star — before drifting across interstellar space for hundreds of millions of years. Only two other confirmed interstellar visitors have ever been sighted: 'Oumuamua in 201, which wasn't a comet, and Comet 2I/Borisov in 2019.

Earlier images taken from Gemini South in Chile showed the comet looking redder. Credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / Shadow the Scientist / J. Miller & M. Rodriguez / T.A. Rector / M. Zamani

The latest visitor entered the solar system traveling roughly 137,000 mph, a speed far too fast for the sun’s gravity to trap it. Scientists say that means it's only swinging by and will never return.

Comets are icy boulders that heat up as they approach the sun, releasing gas and dust in bright, sweeping tails. Most known comets are leftover materials from the solar system’s construction 4.6 billion years ago, though thousands more likely lurk beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt and, farther still, in the Oort Cloud.

NASA and ESA have pointed many spacecraft cameras at the comet — including the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Lucy and Psyche missions — to collect as much information as possible while the space interloper remains in the solar system.

The Gemini North pictures took place during a live public event organized through Shadow the Scientists. The program invites students and the public into telescope control rooms so they can watch astronomers work in real time. As the telescope tracked the comet, it stayed sharp in the images while background stars streaked across the frame in different colors.

Scientists are especially interested in how 3I/ATLAS will continue to change. Comets often respond slowly to the sun's heat, because warmth takes time to reach their interiors. As a result, new gases can begin escaping later, or the comet may suddenly brighten.

The European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton spacecraft observed 3I/ATLAS in X-rays for nearly 20 hours on Dec. 3, 2025. Credit: ESA / XMM-Newton / C. Lisse, S. Cabot & the XMM ISO Team

"Sharing an observing experience in some of the best conditions available gives the public a truly front-row view of our interstellar visitor," Bolin said in a statement. "Allowing the public to see what we do as astronomers and how we do it also helps demystify the scientific and data collection process, adding transparency to our study of this fascinating object."

Astronomers generally expected the comet to glow in X-rays because gas flowing off it crashes into the solar wind, a constant stream of charged particles blowing outward from the sun. That collision creates X-rays, revealing gases that are otherwise hard to detect.

These X-rays are especially useful because they can point to gases like hydrogen and nitrogen, which are nearly invisible to regular cameras and even to many space telescopes. Learning which gases are present helps scientists figure out the comet's composition.

Because 3I/ATLAS comes from a different stellar neighborhood, scientists expect some of its characteristics to be different from native comets. Early readings show that its carbon dioxide–to–water ratio does not match solar system comets, and researchers have spotted some unusual amounts of metals and dust features.

But none of those traits, NASA officials have emphasized, suggest it's not a comet or that it could be an alien spacecraft, as some have speculated on the internet. Tom Statler, NASA's lead scientist for solar system small bodies, compared these differences to coffees of various regions, such as Kona and Sumatra.  

"It's different, and yet it's still coffee," he said. "In this case, we have a cometary body. It resembles the homegrown comets that we have in our solar system, and yet it's excitingly different in particular ways."

There's not a whole lot to spot on the surface of the moon tonight, but if you look hard enough you'll see one or two interesting features. And as we approach the New Moon, this will be one of the last chances to see anything for a few nights.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Dec. 15, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 18% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Tonight, without any visual aids, you'll only be able to see the Aristarchus Plateau. However, if you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin and the Gassendi Crater. With a telescope, the Reiner Gamma also comes into view.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon completes a cycle in about 29.5 days, and during that time we see it go through different phases. We always see the same side, but as it orbits Earth, the sunlight on it changes. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half-lit, and sometimes you can’t see it at all. There are eight main phases in the cycle:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

As we get closer to the New Moon, there'll be less to see on the surface of the moon each night. For now, however, there's still enough lit up that we can spot a few features. Keep reading to find out what you can see.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Dec. 14, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 25% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Tonight, without any visual aids, you'll be able to see Kepler Crater and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, and the Mare Humorum. With a telescope, Reiner Gamma, Schiller Crater, and Gassendi Crater will also become visible.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA says the Moon goes through a cycle of about 29.5 days, and during that time we see its different phases. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the sunlight hitting it changes as it orbits Earth. That’s what makes it look full, half-lit, or sometimes completely hidden. The cycle has eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

A NASA spacecraft is making a close approach to the sun, repeating its record-breaking distance of 3.8 million miles from the solar surface. 

Parker Solar Probe reached "perihelion," the nearest point to the sun in its orbit, on Saturday, Dec. 13. This event is the spacecraft's latest flyby to study the corona, the outermost atmosphere of the sun. 

Parker also matched its record speed of 430,000 mph — fast enough to get from New York to Tokyo in less than a minute, according to the space agency. During this flyby, the probe will collect data on solar wind, flares, and coronal mass ejections — the mysterious solar activity that causes space weather. The spacecraft's four science instruments will measure solar particles and magnetic fields. 

The encounter comes one year after the historic flyby last December that saw Parker become the closest human-made object to the star. The findings and images from that event were published in two Astrophysical Journal Letters papers this week. 

"Eventually, with more and more passes by the sun, Parker Solar Probe will help us be able to continue building the big picture of the sun's magnetic fields and how they can affect us," said Nour Rawafi, Parker's project scientist, in a statement. "And as the sun transitions from solar maximum toward minimum, the scenes we'll witness may be even more dramatic."

Parker’s mission, which launched in 2018, was to gain insight on how the sun and corona work. It "touched" the sun for the first time in 2021, traveling into a region where the temperature is 2 million degrees Fahrenheit. 

Right now, space weather isn't well understood, and forecasting blasts of solar material that could disrupt power grids, telecommunications, and GPS systems remains challenging. Fortunately, the atmosphere and magnetic field shield earthlings against the most harmful health impacts of radiation during solar storms. 

But these events can have repercussions for technology on which people have come to depend. A solar flare in March 1989, for example, caused all of Quebec, Canada, to experience a 12-hour power outage. It also jammed radio signals for Radio Free Europe.

Coronal mass ejections and flares both involve enormous solar explosions and sometimes happen together. Through telescopes, the flares appear as bright light and the ejections look like fans of gas flying into space. The difference between the two phenomenons can be compared to Civil War-era artillery, NASA explains: 

"The flare is like the muzzle flash, which can be seen anywhere in the vicinity. The (coronal mass ejection) is like the cannonball, propelled forward in a single, preferential direction … only affecting a targeted area." 

The hot plasma from the ejection usually takes up to three days to reach the planet, traveling over 1 million mph. A geomagnetic storm can happen when charged particles from that plasma interact with Earth's magnetic field. 

The data also helped scientists create the first detailed maps of the corona's boundary, the Alfvén surface, where solar material breaks free and becomes solar wind. Credit: CfA / Melissa Weiss illustration

Parker's observations revealed that some magnetic material launched during a coronal mass ejection last December actually fell back to the sun instead of escaping. This recycling seems to reshape the magnetic environment and even influence the direction of later solar eruptions. 

The data also helped scientists create the first detailed maps of the corona's boundary, known as the Alfvén surface, where solar material breaks free and becomes solar wind. The spacecraft's measurements show that this zone grows larger and more jagged as the sun's activity ramps up. 

"The insights we gain from these images are an important part of understanding and predicting how space weather moves through the solar system, especially for mission planning that ensures the safety of our Artemis astronauts traveling beyond the protective shield of our atmosphere," said Joe Westlake, NASA's heliophysics division director, in a statement.

NASA is reviewing next steps for the spacecraft in 2026 and beyond.

The moon is returning to its crescent shape as we head towards the New Moon. We're still a few days away from total darkness, so for now there's still a few features to be spotted on the surface. Read on to find out what you can see.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, Dec. 13, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 34% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Tonight, without any visual aids, you'll be able to see Kepler Crater and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, Clavius Crater, and the Mare Humorum. With a telescope, Reiner Gamma, Schiller Crater, and Fra Mauro Highlands will also become visible.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA says the Moon goes through a cycle of about 29.5 days, and during that time we see its different phases. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the sunlight hitting it changes as it orbits Earth. That’s what makes it look full, half-lit, or sometimes completely hidden. The cycle has eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Scientists may have missed the mark when they started referring to Uranus and Neptune as the "ice giant" planets of the solar system decades ago. 

Like giving a certain short-armed dinosaur a name that means "terrible lizard king," calling these planets "icy" hasn't aged well. New research from a team at the University of Zurich in Switzerland suggests the nickname was a misnomer, with the two blue worlds in distant space potentially being made of more rock than ice. 

The cold and remote planets originally earned their label of "ice giants" to contrast their interiors from those of Jupiter and Saturn, the so-called "gas giants" rich in hydrogen and helium. Uranus and Neptune are much smaller than their gassy counterparts but also bigger than the terrestrial worlds of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. 

But little is known about these two medium-size outer planets, which are the least-explored category of worlds in our solar system. NASA's Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited them, flying by Uranus in 1986 and Neptune in 1989. 

"This name is rather misleading since it implies that the planets are water-dominated in composition," Ravit Helled, an astrophysicist who initiated the study, told Mashable. "The name 'ice giants' also gives the impression that the planets are solid but in fact the materials in the deep interiors can be in liquid state."

The work has implications for the study of exoplanets — worlds that exist around stars other than the sun — and shows that more observations and theory are needed before jumping to conclusions about internal composition. The team's challenge to the "ice giants" category appears in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. 

To reach their findings, the researchers built a new way to model what could lie deep within Uranus and Neptune without relying on strict assumptions. They started with many random guesses about how dense each layer might be, according to the paper. Then, they used a step-by-step computer process to adjust those guesses until they matched real measurements of each planet’s gravity. Crucially, the guesses had to follow known rules for how materials behave under pressure and heat.

Their results show that both planets could have very different internal makeups. Some models present a water-dominated scenario, while others look rich in rock. There is no single clear answer about what these planets are mostly made of. 

If the planets were more rocky, that might mean they formed closer to the sun, then migrated farther away. Some scientists have suspected this to be the case, Helled said.

"Many studies on dynamics suggest that Uranus and Neptune formed closer to the sun," she said. 

All of the workable composition models include moving, churning layers made of electrically charged water, called "ionized water." These layers could help explain the strange, lopsided magnetic fields seen around both planets, Helled said. The temperatures inside could stay high enough that hydrogen, helium, and water remain mixed rather than separating.

The interior of Uranus could be more icy, left, or more rocky, right. Credit: Keck Institute for Space Studies / Chuck Carter illustration

The outer layers also differ. Uranus appears to have more hydrogen and helium near the surface than Neptune. The region that produces Uranus' magnetic field likely lies deeper inside the planet than the comparable region in Neptune.

But knowing their true nature will require dedicated missions to the planets, the researchers say. A spacecraft could measure their gravitational fields and atmospheric compositions. For now, it's safe to say the interior structures of medium-size planets are more complex than once thought, and it might be time to retire the "ice giant" moniker. 

"We could keep using this name," Helled said, "as long as people understand that this does not necessarily reflect the planetary composition and material state."

We've reached the last phase of the lunar cycle before the New Moon. This means that each night the moon will appear less and less visible, until there's nothing to see at all. Keep reading to see what this means for tonight's moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Dec. 12, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 43% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you don't have any visual aids, you can still see the Mare Imbrium, Aristarchus Plateau, and Copernicus Crater when you look up tonight. If you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, Clavius Crater, and the Archimedes Crater. With a telescope, Reiner Gamma, Schiller Crater, and Apollo 14 landing spot will also become visible.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA says the Moon goes through a cycle of about 29.5 days, and during that time we see its different phases. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the sunlight hitting it changes as it orbits Earth. That’s what makes it look full, half-lit, or sometimes completely hidden. The cycle has eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's the Third Quarter tonight, which basically means there's only half of the moon on show. Third Quarter is also the second half moon of the lunar cycle, where the left side of the moon is illuminated (if you're in the Northern Hemisphere)

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Dec. 11, the moon phase is Third Quarter. This means 53% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you don't have any visual aids, there's still lots for you to spot tonight, including the likes of the Tycho and Kepler Craters and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, Clavius Crater, and the Alps Mountains. With a telescope, the Caucasus Mountains, Apollo 15 and the Rima Ariadaeus all come into sight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA says the Moon goes through a cycle of about 29.5 days, and during that time we see its different phases. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the sunlight hitting it changes as it orbits Earth. That’s what makes it look full, half-lit, or sometimes completely hidden. The cycle has eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

A space explosion detected this summer burned for days on end, making it the longest and most unusual gamma-ray burst ever seen.

Gamma-ray bursts are the universe’s most powerful explosions. They usually flare for just seconds or minutes, triggered when massive stars collapse or when ultra-dense dead stars called neutron stars collide. But this particular event — known as GRB 250702B — defied all expectations.

Satellites, including NASA’s Fermi and Swift telescopes, along with instruments on other spacecraft, spotted the explosion on July 2. No single observatory could track the full event, so scientists stitched together data from multiple sources to capture the entire outburst.

Researchers think the long, record-breaking explosion may reveal a new way black holes destroy stars — something not covered by existing theories — putting this gamma-ray burst in a league of its own.

"This is certainly an outburst unlike any other we’ve seen in the past 50 years," said Eliza Neights, a NASA researcher based at George Washington University, in a statement.

Follow-up observations traced the burst to a galaxy about 8 billion light-years away, meaning it erupted long before Earth even existed. Images from the James Webb Space Telescope and others revealed the radiation shining through thick bands of dust, providing a rare, detailed view of the hosting galaxy. 

And it definitely is a galaxy, albeit a strange one, said Andrew Levan, an astrophysics professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands who led the Hubble study. It's either two galaxies merging or one really massive one with a dark band of dust dissecting its core. 

The explosion released as much energy as 1,000 suns shining for 10 billion years, all within a few days, scientists say. The initial burst of energy lasted at least seven hours — more than double any previous gamma-ray burst.

“The resolution of Webb is unbelievable," said Huei Sears, a Rutgers University researcher who led some of the observations, in a statement. "We can see so clearly that the burst shined through this dust lane spilling across the galaxy."

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

The Neights-led gamma-ray paper will appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal. Other findings have already appeared in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, with more to come. 

Most scientists agree the prolonged flash likely occurred when a black hole ate a star, but two other ideas can't be ruled out yet. One involves a medium-size black hole, thousands of times heavier than the sun, tearing a wandering star apart. Gravity would stretch and rip the star before swallowing it.

Scientists used ground and space telescopes to pinpoint the galaxy where the prolonged gamma-ray burst originated in the universe. Credit: NASA Goddard / A. Mellinger / CMU

The second scenario envisions a smaller black hole orbiting a nearby companion star. Over time, the black hole siphoned gas from its partner, then plunged into the star itself, consuming it quickly.

In both cases, gas stripped from the star swirled into a superheated disk around the black hole. As material fell inward, the system fired narrow jets of energy at nearly the speed of light — jets responsible for the gamma-ray glow detected from Earth.

The event broke other norms. X-rays appeared a full day before the main burst and continued flaring for two days after, behavior never seen in typical gamma-ray bursts. Astronomers also detected no clear supernova, the bright explosion usually left behind by collapsing stars.

Those peculiar details strengthen the idea that scientists may be witnessing a new type of blast. But catching more of these phenomenons will be essential to crack the case.

The moon is changing each night as it moves through the lunar cycle. The lunar cycle is a series of eight phases of the moon's visibility. Today, we're on day 20 of the cycle. Keep reading to find out what this means for tonight's moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Dec. 10, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 64% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you don't have any visual aids, don't worry, there's still lots for you to spot tonight. Features like the Mare Vaporum, Copernicus Crater, and Aristarchus Plateau should all be visible. If you have binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, Clavius Crater, and the Alps Mountains. For the lucky ones with a telescope, even more comes into sight, with potential glimpses of the Caucasus Mountains, Fra Mauro Highlands, and the Rima Ariadaeus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA says the Moon goes through a cycle of about 29.5 days, and during that time we see its different phases. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the sunlight hitting it changes as it orbits Earth. That’s what makes it look full, half-lit, or sometimes completely hidden. The cycle has eight main phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's day 19 of the lunar cycle and we're close to a new lunar phase, the Third Quarter. From here, the moon will quickly get smaller each night until there's nothing left at all. That phase is known as the New Moon. But what's happening tonight, on day 19? Read on to find out.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Dec. 9, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 73% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

We've still got more than half of the moon on display, so for the time being there's lots to see on its surface. If you're looking up without any visual aids, keep an eye out for the Mare Tranquillitatis, Tycho Crater, and Oceanus Procellarum. If have binoculars to hand, pull these out to see the Gassendi Crater, Clavius Crater, and the Alps Mountains. If you're serious about moon gazing and have a telescope to hand, take it out to see all this plus the Apollo 15 and 16 landing spots and the Reiner Gamma.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Tonight marks day 18 of the lunar cycle, meaning the Moon is in its waning gibbous phase. More than half of its surface is still illuminated, but it’s slowly shrinking each night as it moves toward the New Moon. Keep reading to find out what this means.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Dec. 8, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 83% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

There's still more than half of the moon on display, so with just you naked eye you can see the Mare Tranquillitatis, Tycho Crater, and Copernicus Crater. If have binoculars to hand, pull these out to see the Gassendi Crater, Endymion Crater, and the Alps Mountains. And a telescope will help you see the you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 16 landing spot, Rima Ariadaeus, and the Linne Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The moon is shrinking in visibility each night as we inch closer towards the New Moon. In just a number of days we won't be seeing anything when we look up in the sky, but at least for now, keep reading to see what you'll be able to spot tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Dec. 7, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 90% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

It's day 17 of the lunar cycle and you don't need to be equipped with any visual aids to be able to see anything. In fact, with just you naked eye you will be able to see the Serenitatis and Tranquillitatis mares. If you do have a visual aid, binoculars will allow you to see the Gassendi Crater, Endymion Crater, and the Apennine Mountains. And a telescope will help you see the you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 12 landing spot, Rupes Altai, and the Linne Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Researchers have discovered a large, orderly spiral galaxy that formed soon after the Big Bang, when space was only about 1.5 billion years old.

The galaxy, named Alaknanda, appears in observations made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope as part of major sky surveys. Because the Milky Way lookalike is seen at an extreme distance, its light has traveled for more than 12 billion years to reach Earth. Only recently has telescope technology become powerful enough to spot galaxies with this level of detail from such an early time.

For decades, astronomers believed galaxies in the early universe were too turbulent to settle into neat spiral shapes. Young stars and gas were thought to move chaotically, producing irregular clumps instead of smooth disks and arms. Hubble Space Telescope observations supported this view, as spiral galaxies seemed more scarce beyond about 11 billion years in look-back time.

The discovery raises new questions about how such structures formed so early.

"Alaknanda reveals that the early universe was capable of far more rapid galaxy assembly than we anticipated," said Yogesh Wadadekar, the study's co-author, in a statement. "Somehow, this galaxy managed to pull together 10 billion solar masses of stars and organise them into a beautiful spiral disk in just a few hundred million years. That's extraordinarily fast by cosmic standards, and it compels astronomers to rethink how galaxies form."

Webb’s sharper vision has revealed many disk-shaped galaxies from the early universe, and now, a small but growing number of true spiral galaxies — including Alaknanda — far earlier than predicted by older models. The telescope found CEERS-2112 and REBELS-25, two spiral galaxies, in the early universe in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

The discovery of Alaknanda, made by scientists at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in India, has been published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The research team was able to see immense detail in Alaknanda with the help of a natural phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / I. Labbe / R. Bezanson / Alyssa Pagan / Rashi Jain / Yogesh Wadadekar

"The physical processes driving galaxy formation — gas accretion, disk settling, and possibly the development of spiral density waves — can operate far more efficiently than current models predict," said Rashi Jain, the lead author, in a statement. "It's forcing us to rethink our theoretical framework."

Alaknanda — named after the Himalayan river that is a twin headstream of the Ganga — spans roughly 32,000 light-years across, comparable to large modern spiral galaxies. It also contains a huge number of stars.

Images show that the galaxy already has a flat, rotating disk with two clear spiral arms with the classic pinwheel shape. These arms appear smooth and symmetrical, earning Alaknanda the label of a "grand-design" spiral galaxy, meaning it has defined arms rather than patchy or broken ones.

Along the spiral arms, scientists observed chains of bright clumps of newborn stars. These clumps look like a string of beads, marking areas where gas has collapsed into dense pockets that ignite new stars. In other views, each string appears as part of a larger spiral arm.

The research team was able to see immense detail in the distant galaxy with the help of a natural phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. A massive galaxy cluster's gravity acts like a giant magnifying glass in the sky, bending and enhancing the light of Alaknanda to appear twice as bright. 

Observing Alaknanda across different wavelengths of light allowed scientists to estimate the age of the galaxy's stellar population and found the stars average only about 200 million years old. Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez illustration

To understand Alaknanda’s history, researchers compared its brightness across 21 different wavelengths of light, spanning ultraviolet to infrared. By matching those measurements to computer models of stellar populations, they estimated that the galaxy’s stars average only about 200 million years old. That means roughly half formed in a rapid burst after the universe was already more than 1 billion years old.

Alaknanda continues to grow quickly. It forms new stars at a rate equal to about 63 suns per year — dozens of times faster than the Milky Way does today. Certain colors of light shine brighter than expected because glowing gas around new stars gives off strong signals, confirming the galaxy’s intense star-forming activity.

Scientists still do not know how spiral arms formed so quickly in these ancient systems. Some theories suggest they arise from slow-moving density patterns inside disks, while others point to gravitational disturbances from nearby galaxies or large clumps of gas. Alaknanda even appears to have a small neighboring galaxy that could have helped trigger its spiral structure, but more evidence is needed to draw that conclusion.

Future observations using Webb’s instruments for measuring motions inside galaxies, along with radio telescopes, could map how Alaknanda’s stars and gas orbit its center. Those data could help determine whether its disk has settled into its final configuration or whether the spiral arms represent a mere phase in its development.

Have you noticed the moon looking a little smaller lately? That's because of where we are in the lunar cycle, a series of the moon's different phases. Right now, we're heading towards the New Moon. Keep reading to find out what this means.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, Dec. 6, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 96% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you're looking up with just your naked eye, there's lots to see, in particular the Oceanus Procellarum and the Kepler Crater. With binoculars you'll also be able to spy the Posidonius and Alphonsus craters, as well at the Grimaldi Basin. And with a telescope, you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 11 and 12 landing spots and the Linne Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Scientists now have proof that Mars' dusty storms can generate mini lightning, putting to rest decades of speculation.

The discovery came from a microphone aboard NASA's Perseverance rover, a lab on six wheels exploring the Jezero Crater region. While it was listening to Martian winds spinning and spitting dust, it also picked up something no one had heard there before: crackles and pops that turned out to be small electrical shocks within dust devils and storm fronts. 

Of course, everything on Mars has to be different from Earth — not even the thunder can sound like thunder. Instead, these tiny bits of lightning give off sounds more like those that people associate with static electricity — the shuffling-of-your-socked-feet-and-touching-a-doorknob variety.

Over two Martian years, researchers identified 55 brief discharges — usually when dust devils passed close by or when the leading edges of dust storms rolled over the rover. Now people can listen to the Martian lightning themselves. NASA released a recording, featured in the YouTube video below, this week. 

"We got some good ones where you can clearly hear the 'snap' sound of the spark," said Ralph Lorenz, a Perseverance scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, in a statement. 

Scientists have long studied dust devils churning up Martian dirt. About 13 years ago, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter caught sight of an extraordinary one with a column stretching 12 miles into the sky.

Dust devils on Mars form similarly to those on Earth, despite the fact that Mars' atmosphere is much thinner. They tend to happen on dry days when the ground gets hotter than the surrounding area. Typically smaller than tornadoes, dust devils are whirlwinds that make a funnel-like chimney, channeling hot air up and around. The rotating wind accelerates similar to the way spinning ice skaters move faster as they bring their arms closer to their bodies.

About 13 years ago, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter caught sight of an extraordinary one with a column stretching 12 miles into the sky. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UA

As wind-blown grains bang into each other, they swap tiny electric charges. Over time, those charges build strong electric fields that can lead to sparks or even lightning, especially inside volcanic ash clouds. The Red Planet is covered in fine dust and constantly experiences dust devils and massive storms, so scientists have expected similar charging there. 

"On Mars, the thin atmosphere makes the phenomenon far more likely," said Baptiste Chide, a Perseverance scientist at L’Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie in France, in a statement, "as the amount of charge required to generate sparks is much lower than what is required in Earth’s near-surface atmosphere."

Lab experiments and computer models predicted this. That raised the possibility that even modest charging could produce flashes.

Scientists have documented lightning on Jupiter and Saturn, and they suspected for decades that Mars has lightning, too. But no one had ever observed it directly — that is, until now.

Though Perseverance hasn't caught one of these little lightning events on camera, its hot mic has picked up their pops just as dust clouds have swept past. In addition to the audio, the instrument made electromagnetic recordings.

Scientists noticed that the sparks occurred when dust lifted and collided, not simply when it hung in the air. It is the motion and friction of grains, not just having dusty skies, that drive the electricity, they said. Their findings now appear in the journal Nature. 

Although the rover encountered only two strong dust devils during this period, both produced detectable sparks. That means countless other whirlwinds across the planet are likely doing the same thing. Even more significant are the thousands of dust storms that form each year. Scientists suspect those turbulent, miles-long storm fronts produce far more electricity than isolated dust devils.

Electrical discharges from Martian lightning may change the chemistry of the planet's surface. They can create compounds like hydrogen peroxide, chlorine gases, and perchlorates that destroy organic matter. These reactions may help explain why scientists struggle to find well-preserved traces of ancient life at the surface.

Understanding this phenomenon is important to keep spacecraft and future astronauts safe on the Red Planet, according to NASA. Fortunately, decades of rover missions have not experienced any serious electrical damage. Still, the research team notes that the Soviet Mars 3 lander, which stopped transmitting only seconds after landing during a dust storm in 1971, might have fallen victim to a spark-related malfunction.

Generally speaking, the Red Planet is a quiet place, largely due to Mars' low-atmospheric pressure. In fact, it can fall so silent, there was a time the Perseverance team believed the rovers' mics might be broken.

The moon still looks pretty big and bright in the sky after last night's Full Moon. But now that it's passed, the moon will actually be getting less visible each night as we work through the lunar cycle and approach the New Moon phase. Until then, however, there's plenty to see on the surface, so keep reading to find out what you can spot.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Dec. 5, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 99% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you're looking up with just your naked eye, there's lots to see, in particular the Humorum Mare, Endymion Crater, and Alphonsus Crater. With binoculars you'll also be able to spy the Alps Mountains, Clavius Crater and the Mare Humorum. And with a telescope, you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 11 and 12 landing spots.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's the last full Moon of the year, and it's not just any full Moon, it's a supermoon. The third of three consecutive supermoons to round out the year, so if you missed November and October's, make sure you head out for this one. Supermoons are what the name suggests, a full Moon that appears bigger and brighter in the sky than usual, perfect for late-night stargazing.

There's lots to know about this Moon, so keep reading to find out when it is, and what it means.

When is the December Full Moon?

December's full Moon will occur on Thursday, Dec. 4. Time and Date estimates it will peak at 6:14 p.m. ET.

What is the December full Moon called?

Full Moons all have their own names, and December's is traditionally known as the 'Cold Moon'. As you might imagine, this name has something to do with the arrival of winter, and the drop in the temperature.

December's Full Moon is also a supermoon, which means it appears larger and brighter than usual because it’s closer to Earth in its orbit. This happens when the Full Moon occurs near its closest point to our planet, called lunar perigee, giving us a fuller, more prominent view in the night sky, Royal Museums Greenwich tells us.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to occur on Jan. 3, 2026.

What are the lunar phases?

The Full Moon is just one phase in the Moon’s 29.5-day orbit around Earth. The different phases show how much of its surface is lit up from our point of view. We always see the same side of the Moon, but as it circles Earth, the sunlight falls on it differently. That’s why sometimes it appears full, sometimes half, and at other times seems to disappear entirely.

There are eight main Moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

• New Moon — The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

• Waxing Crescent — A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

• First Quarter — Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

• Waxing Gibbous — More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

• Full Moon — The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

• Waning Gibbous — The moon starts losing light on the right side.

• Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) — Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

• Waning Crescent — A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Tonight's moon is a special one, it's not just a full moon, it's a supermoon. A supermoon is just a full moon that looks bigger and brighter because the Moon is a bit closer to Earth than usual, so the Moon may look a little clearer and you might find it slightly easier to spot some of its surface features tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Dec. 4, the moon phase is Full Moon. This means 100% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you're looking up with just your naked eye, there's lots to see, in particular the Vaporum, Serenitatis and Tranquillitatis Mares. With binoculars you'll also be able to spy the Alps Mountains, Clavius Crater and the Mare Humorum. And with a telescope, you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 15 and 17 landing spots as well as the Fra Mauro Highlands.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA's asteroid sample has revealed new chemical evidence that scientists say sharpens the picture of how the solar system formed and how the ingredients for life spread through space.

Three studies published Tuesday in Nature Geoscience and Nature Astronomy examine pristine material the OSIRIS-Rex mission collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu and delivered to Earth in 2023. Researchers report finding important sugars for biology, a previously unknown gum-like substance, and large amounts of dust that were once forged in supernova explosions.

In one study, a team led by Yoshihiro Furukawa of Tohoku University in Japan found six types of sugars, including ribose, which forms the backbone of RNA — a crucial molecule for life — and glucose, a critical energy source for living creatures. It's the first time glucose has been detected in pristine asteroid material. 

Earlier, scientists had already found amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — and nucleobases, which help store genetic information. The discovery of sugars completes the set of key components needed to make proteins and genetic material.

"What this means is that these building blocks of life were distributed from the outer solar system all the way into the inner solar system," said Danny Glavin, an astrobiologist leading the sample organics analysis, in a NASA video. "They were everywhere, ubiquitous, which really makes me more optimistic that not only could these building blocks have enabled life on Earth, but potentially elsewhere — Mars, Europa, the outer solar system."

But what the researchers didn't find might be even more enlightening. Notably absent in the sample was deoxyribose, the sugar used to build DNA. That finding adds credibility to the so-called "RNA world" hypothesis, which proposes that the earliest living things relied on RNA alone to store genetic information and drive basic chemical reactions, before DNA and proteins came about.

"This discovery of ribose, in fact, is really important," Glavin said. "Maybe the origin of life was just a single strand of RNA."

NASA's $800 million OSIRIS-Rex mission, short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security Regolith Explorer, launched in 2016. The robotic spacecraft completed its 4 billion-mile trip when it dropped the capsule from 63,000 miles above Earth onto a patch of Utah desert. It's the first U.S. mission to grab a sample of an asteroid. 

These are the most precious space souvenirs NASA has scored since the Apollo moon rocks, gathered between 1969 and 1972. The mission succeeded in collecting about a half-cup of crushed Bennu rocks and dirt. Though that might not sound like much, scientists expect the material to drive profound discoveries for decades to come. 

A second study uncovered an unexpected organic substance unlike anything previously seen in space rocks. The material, now hardened with age, likely had a gummy consistency when it formed, made of polymer-like chains of nitrogen and oxygen. These complex molecules may have provided the scaffolding to assemble the smaller organic ingredients necessary for life on Earth.

The substance likely formed before Bennu broke off from a larger asteroid that existed at the dawn of the solar system. 

"Looking at its chemical makeup, we see the same kinds of chemical groups that occur in polyurethane on Earth, making this material from Bennu something akin to a 'space plastic,'" said Scott Sandford, a NASA astrophysicist who led one of the Nature Astronomy papers. 

The Bennu rocks are the most precious space souvenirs NASA has obtained since the Apollo moon rocks. Credit: Robert Markowitz

The third study focused on so-called "presolar grains," specks of dust that formed around ancient stars before the birth of the solar system and later got incorporated into asteroids and planets. A team led by NASA's Ann Nguyen, a planetary scientist, found that the Bennu sample contains six times more dust from supernovas than has been measured in any other extraterrestrial material.

That high concentration suggests that Bennu’s parent body formed in a region chock full of debris from dying stars. Though fluids later altered much of the asteroid’s rock, the researchers also discovered relatively unchanged pockets, preserving organic material and fragile presolar grains from water damage.

Scientists say these discoveries bolster the idea that the raw ingredients for life were common, widely distributed and delivered to early Earth by asteroids similar to Bennu, helping lay the groundwork for biology long before the planet became habitable.

"I'm becoming much more optimistic that we may be able to find life beyond Earth, even in our own solar system," Glavin said.

We're just a few days away from the full moon, so it's looking nice and bright in the sky, with plenty to see when you look up. Keep reading to find out exactly what's happening on the moon's surface tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Dec. 2, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. This means 91% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

It's day 12 of the lunar cycle now, and without any visual aids you should be able to see the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. You'll also be able to spot the Copernicus Crater. With binoculars, the Endymion, Alphonsus and Posidonius Craters come into view. And finally, with a telescope, you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 15 and 16 landing spots, and the Rima Hyginus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, which will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's the first moon in December, and we're just a few days away from the Full Moon. This is set to be another supermoon, so we can expect a very big and bright display soon. Until then, there's still plenty to spot on the moon's surface now.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Dec. 1, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. This means 83% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

It's day 11 of the lunar cycle, and there is lots to see. If you're looking at the moon without any visual aids you should be able to see the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. You'll also be able to spot the Copernicus Crater. With binoculars, the Endymion, Alphonsus and Posidonius Craters come into view. And finally, with a telescope, you can catch a glimpse of the Schiller Crater, Apollo 12 landing spot, and the Rima Ariadaeus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, which will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

We're just a few days away from the Full Moon now, so the moon is nice and bright tonight. There's plenty for you to see when you look up, so keep reading to find out exactly what you can see.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Nov. 30, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. This means 74% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you're looking at the moon without any visual aids you should be able to spot the Vaporum, Crisium, and Fecunditatis Mares. With binoculars you'll also be able to spot the Endymion and Alphonsus Craters, and the Apennine Mountains. If you have a telescope, pull it out to try and catch a glimpse of the Apollo 11 and 14 landing spots, and the Caucasus Mountains.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, which will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

We're in the last lunar phase before the full moon, which can only mean we're getting closer and closer. There's still a few days until we reach the December full moon (which will again be a supermoon this month), but the moon is still nice and bright with plenty to see until then.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, Nov. 29, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. This means 63% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

So, what can you see when you look up tonight? If you're looking up without any visual aids you should be able to spot the Tranquillitatis, and Serenitatis Mares, as well as the Tycho Crater. With binoculars you'll also be able to spot the Endymion, Alphonsus Craters and Clavius Craters. If you have a telescope, pull it out to try and catch a glimpse of the Apollo 15 and 16 landing spots, and the Fra Mauro Highlands.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, which will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It's the First Quarter tonight, which means the Moon is half-illuminated and positioned 90 degrees from the Sun. This phase also marks the midpoint between the New Moon and the Full Moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Nov. 28, the moon phase is First Quarter. This means 53% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

The moon is half full tonight, so there's at least half of it ready to be gazed at. So, what can you see when you look up? According to NASA, without any visual aids you should be able to spot the Vaporum, Tranquillitatis, and Serenitatis Mares. With binoculars you'll also be able to spot the Endymion and Alphonsus Craters as well as the Mare Nectaris. If you have a telescope, pull it out to try and catch a glimpse of the Apollo 15 and 17 landing spots, and the Descartes Highlands.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, which will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are what make up the lunar cycle, a repeating cycle that lasts around 29.5 days. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. We always see the same side of the moon, but the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely. There are eight moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

We're on day five of the lunar cycle, which means the moon is working on getting bigger every night. There will be more coming into view tonight than last, so keep reading to find out what you can see.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Nov. 25, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. This means 24% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

With just the naked eye, tonight you'll be able to see the Fecunditatis and Crisium Mares. With binoculars or a telescope, you'll also be able to spot the Endymion Crater and the Posidonius Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, which will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are what make up the lunar cycle, a repeating cycle that lasts around 29.5 days. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. We always see the same side of the moon, but the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely. There are eight moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The moon is working towards being full again, and on day four of the lunar cycle it's already looking bigger in the sky. Keep reading to see what you can spot on its surface tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Nov. 24, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. This means 16% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

With just the naked eye, tonight you'll be able to see the Fecunditatis and Crisium Mares. With binoculars or a telescope, you'll also be able to spot the Endymion Crater in the top right corner. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, this will be positioned in the bottom left.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are what make up the lunar cycle, a repeating cycle that lasts around 29.5 days. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. We always see the same side of the moon, but the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely. There are eight moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

After days of almost complete darkness, the moon is big and bright enough tonight to do some moon-gazing. There's plenty to see, so keep reading to find out what's on show.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Nov. 23, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. This means 10% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you don't have any visual aids, you'll be able to see the Fecunditatis and Crisium Mares. If you have binoculars or a telescope, you'll also be able to spot the Endymion Crater in the top right corner (bottom left, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere).

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that moon phases are all a part of a repeating lunar cycle of 29.5 days. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely (the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Scientists have spotted a small asteroid that may circle Earth as a mini moon before shifting onto a path that could make it a hazard later in the century.

The asteroid, known as 2022 RD2, belongs to a rare class of space rocks called Arjunas. These objects travel around the sun on orbits that closely match Earth’s and sometimes drift near the planet at unusually low speeds. That sluggish pace can allow Earth’s gravity to trap them for a short time, creating what researchers call mini moons.

NASA has calculated the asteroid’s orbit and placed it on its risk list for potential impacts, though the agency’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies has reached somewhat different conclusions about the asteroid's future trajectory.

If these predictions hold, 2022 RD2 could become one of the few known asteroids to shift from near-Earth object to temporary moon and later to a potential crash risk — all within a single lifetime.

A team of astronomers in Madrid says 2022 RD2 follows an especially unstable path. It has a Lyapunov time — a measure of how quickly an orbit becomes unpredictable — of less than 20 years, much shorter than that of most near-Earth asteroids. That rapid change means small gravitational nudges can push the rock onto dramatically different routes over just a few decades.

Their findings appeared this week in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. The paper’s authors, brothers Carlos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, have previously reported on the "quasi-moon" 2025 PN7 and the mini-moon 2024 PT5, which briefly orbited Earth last year.

An image of the asteroid 2024 PT5, which became a temporary mini moon last year. Credit: Two-Meter Twin Telescope / Light Bridges / Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

A key distinction, they note, is that mini moons get briefly captured by Earth’s gravity. But 2025 PN7 is more of a stalker, merely following Earth on its travels around the sun without becoming a true satellite.

The Arjunas interest researchers because of their scientific and practical potential, Carlos told Mashable.

"On the one hand, they are easier to access than other asteroids, so they can be used to test space technology or even to attempt commercial ventures on them such as mining," he said. "On the other hand, some of them are suspected lunar debris resulting from present-day impacts on the moon."

Simulations suggest 2022 RD2 could slip into a temporary orbit around Earth between 2043 and 2044, becoming a mini moon for several months. The team applied standard criteria for temporary captures: a close approach, a reduction in relative speed, and a period during which Earth’s gravity exerts enough control to form a true orbit.

After 2022 RD2 leaves Earth’s neighborhood, its path appears to grow more erratic. Some possible trajectories include collision paths beginning around 2080, according to the paper.

But NASA’s models put potential impact dates even later and estimate the odds at less than 0.1 percent, said Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer with the center. The asteroid is also relatively small, perhaps the size of a three-story building.

"So it wouldn't cause any significant damage even in the unlikely case it were on an impact trajectory," Farnocchia told Mashable.

Many recent mini moons and quasi-moons appear to belong to the Arjuna population — a loose cluster of Earth-like objects that trail our planet along its path around the sun. Their origins and composition remain largely unknown because only a few have been studied in detail. Some show similarities to the actual moon, Carlos said, but scientists need more data.

Although some small objects near Earth turn out to be old spacecraft or rocket boosters, the researchers say 2022 RD2 is almost certainly natural. And while their projections don't confirm a future collision, they can't yet rule it out.

"The study of this population is just beginning," Carlos said. "Paradoxically, being so close to us, they are comparatively difficult to study, as many of them have short visibility windows and far between."

The moon is slowly coming back to us, but it's still a little bit too dark to see anything on it's surface. It's only day two of the lunar cycle, so we’ll have to wait a few more nights before it starts showing its features.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday Nov. 21, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. This means 5% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation. This means there is still nothing to see on its surface tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that moon phases are all a part of a repeating lunar cycle of 29.5 days. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely (the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

It’s day one of a new lunar cycle, so the moon’s barely there tonight. You won’t really see anything on its surface, but it’s just starting to get brighter again, it’ll gradually show more in the next few nights.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday Nov. 21, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. This means 2% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation. There's not enough moon lit up to spot anything on its surface tonight either.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

Moon phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts about 29.5 days, according to NASA. They describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely (the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that an exceptionally rare star duo in the Milky Way has a third companion — and it's a monster.

The star system, named Apep after the Egyptian god of chaos, includes two Wolf-Rayet stars, a type that burns blue-white and hot, generating powerful gas winds as it nears death. These stars are old, huge, and on the verge of supernova explosions. 

The Apep pair has intrigued astronomers because of how scarce Wolf-Rayet stars are in space. Only about 1,000 exist in the galaxy, which contains hundreds of billions of stars. Of the few binary star systems involving Wolf-Rayets, Apep is the only one wherein both fall in this category. 

Now new telescope studies confirm that Apep has a third star — a supergiant roughly 40 or 50 times more massive than the sun. The two Wolf-Rayet stars were likely even heavier than that when they were younger, but have since shriveled down to 10 and 20 times the mass of our host star. 

"Webb gave us the 'smoking gun' to prove the third star is gravitationally bound to this system,'" said Ryan White, a lead author from Macquarie University in Australia, in a statement. 

With Webb, astronomers were able to see the two Wolf–Rayet stars blasting out fierce winds that smash together and make carbon dust. Instead of one big cloud, Apep has a stack of four nested dust shells that look like the ripples surrounding a stone plopped into a pond. Each shell repeats the same pattern, indicating the dust-making process fires on a steady rhythm.

The shells hold their shape even as they drift nearly two light-years outward. But despite their predictability, the shells aren't perfectly round. Slight warps probably come from the stars' long, stretched orbit, according to the research, or from winds that blow harder in some directions than others.

The James Webb Space Telescope revealed neat, layered dust shells shaped by two powerful stars. Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez illustration

The findings are described in two new papers published in The Astrophysical Journal. 

"Looking at Webb’s new observations was like walking into a dark room and switching on the light," said Yinuo Han, lead author of one of the papers, in a statement. "Everything came into view." 

The shells formed over the last 700 years as the two stars repeatedly approached each other. Their gas collisions shoot out thick clumps of carbon dust at 1,200 to 2,000 miles per second. By measuring how fast the shells move and how far apart they sit, researchers estimate that the two orbit each other about once every 193 years. 

As for the third star, it circles around the other two from a wider distance. As the dust shells expand, this outer star plows through them, leaving a neat, pie-shaped gap in every shell. Because the gap appears in the same place each time, researchers know it's part of the system.

The dust temperatures, shell spacing, and the system’s overall brightness point to Apep being farther away than earlier studies suggested — perhaps 15,000 light-years off in the distance.

"We solved several mysteries with Webb," Han said. "The remaining mystery is the precise distance to the stars from Earth, which will require future observations."

A comet hurtling through the solar system from interstellar space is exactly what it appears to be, NASA officials said Wednesday, moving to quash a wave of online speculation.

At a news conference, scientists released new spacecraft images of Comet 3I/ATLAS and described a full-court press to photograph the object before it disappears for good. NASA has pointed an array of observatories at the comet — including the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Lucy and Psyche missions — to capture as much data as possible while it remains within view.

Conspiracy theories flourished during the federal government shutdown, some claiming the comet was alien technology. The pause in federal communications let rumors spread unchecked, said Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator.

"It looks and behaves like a comet, and all evidence points to it being a comet," he said. "But this one came from outside the solar system, which makes it fascinating, exciting, and scientifically very important."

Comet 3I/ATLAS formed around another star and was later ejected — likely by a gravitational jolt from a planet or passing star — before drifting across interstellar space for hundreds of millions of years. It entered the solar system traveling roughly 137,000 mph, a speed too high for the sun’s gravity to trap it. The comet is never expected to return.

NASA says the object poses no threat to Earth. The closest it will ever come to our planet is 170 million miles away. 

NASA and the European Space Agency's SOHO mission observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS between Oct. 15 and 26, 2025. Credit: Lowell Observatory / Qicheng Zhang

NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft watched the interstellar comet between Sept. 11 and 25, 2025, to achieve this stacked image.. Credit: NASA / Lowell Observatory / Qicheng Zhang

Only two other confirmed interstellar visitors have ever been recorded: 'Oumuamua in 2017 and Comet 2I/Borisov in 2019.

Comets are balls of ice and rock that heat up as they near the sun, releasing gas and dust in bright, sweeping tails. Most known comets are leftovers from the solar system’s formation 4.6 billion years ago, though thousands more likely lurk beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt and, farther still, in the Oort Cloud.

Because 3I/ATLAS comes from a different stellar neighborhood, scientists expect some surprises. Early readings show that its carbon dioxide–to–water ratio does not match typical solar system comets, and researchers have spotted some unusual amounts of metals and dust features.

The PUNCH mission's view was from about 235 million miles away between Sept. 20 to Oct. 3, 2025. Credit: NASA / Southwest Research Institute

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft captured an ultraviolet image of the comet's halo of gas and dust on Oct. 9, 2025. Credit: NASA Goddard / LASP / CU Boulder

But none of those traits, NASA officials emphasized, suggest anything artificial.

"It’s going to look different because it didn’t come from our solar system," said Nicky Fox, NASA’s associate administrator for the science mission directorate. "And that’s what makes it so magical."

The Psyche spacecraft watched the comet between Sept. 8 and 9, 2025. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU

The Lucy spacecraft saw the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS from 240 million miles away on Sept. 16, 2025. Credit: NASA Goddard / SwRI / JHU-APL

Capturing clear images has pushed NASA’s fleet to its limits. Each spacecraft is watching from a different angle, with its own viewing constraints and camera quirks.

"Remember, space is big," said Tom Statler, lead scientist for solar system small bodies. "Nothing is ever really as close as you like, and all of these observations are very, very difficult. It's a little bit as if our NASA spacecraft were at a baseball game, watching the game from different places in the stadium. Everybody has got a camera, and they're trying to get a picture of the ball, and nobody has a perfect view, and everybody has a different camera."

Scientists say the observations will help them understand the raw materials in other planetary systems and provide insight into how they form.

Tonight the moon’s completely out of sight, that's because it’s a New Moon. This means the side facing us is in shadow, so there's to see at all. After tonight, we'll be in a new lunar cycle and the moon will slowly start getting brighter and brighter each night.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday Nov. 20, the moon phase is New Moon. This means 0% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation. So, if you were hoping to catch a glimpse of the moon tonight, you’re out of luck. Just enjoy the dark sky for now, the moon will be back in a few days.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

Moon phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts about 29.5 days, according to NASA. They describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely (the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

You might not believe it, but there’s still a trace of moonlight tonight. It’s only the faintest sliver, so your chances of spotting anything on the surface are slim to none.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Nov. 19, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 1% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

There isn’t enough of the moon lit tonight to see anything. Once the next lunar cycle begins, it’ll start to come back into sight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

Moon phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts about 29.5 days, according to NASA. They describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely (the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

There's still a small sliver of moon on display tonight, but not so much to see anything. This is because we're approaching the New Moon phase of the lunar cycle. Keep reading to find out what exactly this means.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Nov. 18, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 3% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Don't strain your eyes tonight, there's too little moon to see anything. As we move towards the next lunar cycle, the moon will be small (and even out of sight) for a few days.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

Moon phases are are part of a recurring lunar cycle (every 29.5 days), according to NASA. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight hitting it changes throughout its orbit. So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not there at all (aka, the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Visibility is almost completely gone tonight, which can only mean one thing, we're close to the New Moon. Keep reading to see what, if anything, you can spot on the moon's surface tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Nov. 17, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 7% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Unfortunately, to see anything on the moon tonight you'll need the assistance of a visual aid. With binoculars or a telescope, you should be able to make out the Grimaldi Basin.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

Moon phases are all part of a 29.5-day lunar cycle, according to NASA. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight hitting it changes throughout its orbit. So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not there at all (aka, the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

The eight main moon phases are:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Wondering where the moon is disappearing to? This is due to the lunar cycle, meaning each night a bit less of it is lit up until it disappears completely at the New Moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Nov. 16, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 12% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

There's not as much to see tonight, but if you look hard enough, you might spot a few features. If you don't have any visual aids, you'll be able to spot the Aristarchus Plateau. This is a 25-mile diameter crater. With binoculars you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, and with a telescope you'll see the Reiner Gamma.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

Moon phases, like the Waning Crescent, are all part of a 29.5-day lunar cycle, according to NASA. These phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. So, sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes not there at all (aka, the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

The eight main moon phases are:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.