The solar system’s inner sentinel, a small, cratered world in a 3:2 spin–orbit resonance with the Sun.
A series of high-altitude eclipse observations are under way across Europe, North America and beyond. NASA-backed aircraft chase the moon’s shadow to extend totality, while airlines offer special flights and Iberia livestreams the event from Spain.
A NASA-backed mission to salvage the Swift telescope using the three-armed Link spacecraft has failed to boost Swift to a higher orbit. Link has run low on fuel after a close approach and will reenter the atmosphere in coming weeks as NASA notes the mission offers lessons for future renewals of space assets.
The European Space Agency’s BepiColombo mission has completed a critical phase of its eight-year cruise by shedding the Mercury Transfer Module. Two orbiters remain to observe Mercury as the craft shifts to in-situ science, following a sequence of gravity assists and a new, power-efficient configuration.
Scientists have identified a 222‑metre‑wide, up to 43‑metre‑deep crater on the Moon formed in spring 2024 and first spotted in LRO images in 2025. The impact churned material across more than 100 km, produced a roughly 7‑km cold spot and has provided rare data scientists say will inform risk assessments for planned lunar bases.