The third planet from the Sun, the only world known to harbor life
Multiple sources report a rare geomagnetic storm causing the Aurora Borealis to be visible as far south as Norfolk, UK, on March 21, 2026. Forecasters expect the lights to be visible again tonight, driven by recent solar activity and coronal mass ejections, with optimal viewing conditions in dark, clear skies.
Scientists are training divers to explore beneath Arctic ice to better understand climate change impacts. Recent dives reveal fragile ecosystems, while Arctic sea ice levels hit near-record lows, highlighting rapid warming. These efforts aim to inform global climate policies amid accelerating ice melt.
On April 6, 2026, NASA's Artemis II mission flew four astronauts—three Americans and one Canadian—around the Moon, reaching within 4,067 miles of its surface. The crew captured high-resolution images, including Earthrise and a total solar eclipse, transmitted back to Earth via an optical link. The mission tests Orion spacecraft systems ahead of planned lunar landings and aims to establish a sustainable Moon presence.
The Artemis II crew has completed a 10-day mission, traveling further from Earth than any humans have before. They have safely splashed down off California, with their Orion capsule enduring extreme reentry temperatures. The mission confirms the spacecraft's systems and paves the way for future lunar landings.
The NOIRLab has released a detailed image of the sombrero galaxy, revealing its extensive stellar halo and star streams from past collisions. Meanwhile, astronomers have observed interstellar comet C/2025 R3 Pan-STARRS, which is passing through the solar system for the first time in 170,000 years, and the upcoming Lyrid meteor shower is expected to peak tonight, offering spectacular skywatching opportunities.
The Artemis II crew has completed a nearly 10-day lunar flyby, breaking Apollo 13's distance record and returning safely to Earth on April 10, 2026. The mission has tested NASA's Orion spacecraft, provided critical data for Artemis III's planned moon landing in 2027, and energized plans for a sustainable lunar base. The astronauts have shared their experiences and undergone medical checks at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Earth Day marks six decades of environmental effort, with a global movement highlighting activism, policy gains, and individual action. This year's theme, Our Power, Our Planet, emphasizes small, everyday steps alongside landmark rulings and campaigns that protect ecosystems and curb pollution.
NASA’s NISAR satellite has detected rapid subsidence in Mexico City, showing central areas sinking up to 0.78 inches per month and about 9.5 inches per year. Areas like the main airport and Angel of Independence are among the fastest sinking zones, driven by groundwater pumping and urban growth; researchers say mapping rates is key to mitigation.
The government has moved to refund billions of tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court, with ongoing court cases pressuring CBP to expand the refunds to more importers. Phase one refunds are underway, while the timing and scope of broader reliquidation remain under legal scrutiny.
The blue micromoon is visible this Sunday, visible as a calendar blue moon and a micromoon. It will appear about 6% smaller than an average full moon and is not blue in color. Peak fullness is around 6:45 pm local time.
NASA has disclosed new details about a weekend meteor over New England that produced a double sonic boom. The natural object, 5 feet wide and elephant-sized, traveled at roughly 42,000 mph, fragmented about 40 miles above the ground, and released energy equivalent to about 230-300 tons of TNT. The meteor likely landed in Cape Cod Bay, with no ground impact confirmed.
A wave of space-based data-center startups and defense-aligned ventures are racing to deploy orbital computing. Companies plan test satellites, funding rounds, and government programs to scale AI workloads in orbit, while observers caution about the cost, heat management, and regulatory hurdles.
NASA has named Randy Bresnik, Luca Parmitano, Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas as the Artemis III crew for a mid‑2027, two‑week orbital test flight to practice docking with prototype lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. The all‑male selection has prompted online criticism and questions about whether Blue Origin’s recent New Glenn explosion will delay the program.
Researchers have identified the deepest, oldest whale graveyard in the southeastern Indian Ocean, dating back about 5.3 million years. Using deep-sea submersibles, teams mapped 485 whale-fossil sites and five modern whale falls, revealing a thriving deep-sea ecosystem around whale carcasses. The find spans up to 23,000 feet below the surface and covers a 1,200 km corridor.
SOLAR-1 has passed eight months of testing and now transmits coronal mass ejection images to NOAA within 30 minutes, improving early warnings for solar storms that could disrupt signals and infrastructure.
Global mapping shows arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi link to plant roots and store hundreds of megatons of carbon, revealing their critical role in the Earth’s carbon cycle and the sensitivity of these underground networks to land use.
A seismic event in Mindanao has caused coastal uplift of up to about 2 metres, exposing coral and seagrass as shoreline retreat is observed along the Cotabato Trench. Authorities report multiple aftershocks and ongoing assessments of casualties and damage.
UNICEF reports that as many as 1.1 billion children face at least three overlapping climate hazards, with drought, extreme heat and heat waves among the most common combinations; the crisis spans more than 95% of countries and demands urgent investment in adaptation and disaster management.