Latest Planets News
NASA's first asteroid samples land on Earth after release from spacecraft
NASA’s first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert Sunday to cap a seven-year journey. In a flyby of Earth, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft released the sample capsule from 63,000 miles (100,000 kilometers) out. The small capsule landed four hours later...
The fall equinox is here. What does that mean?
NEW YORK (AP) — Fall is in the air — officially. The equinox arrives on Saturday, marking the start of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean? Here's what to know about how we split up the year using the Earth's orbit. ...
NASA spacecraft delivering biggest sample yet from an asteroid
Planet Earth is about to receive a special delivery — the biggest sample yet from an asteroid. A NASA spacecraft will fly by Earth on Sunday and drop off what is expected to be at least a cupful of rubble it grabbed from the asteroid Bennu, closing out a seven-year quest. ...
Japan launches rocket carrying lunar lander and X-ray telescope to explore origins of universe
TOKYO (AP) — Japan launched a rocket Thursday carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe as well as a small lunar lander. The launch of the HII-A rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan was shown on live video by the Japan...
Across the Northern Hemisphere, now's the time to catch a new comet before it vanishes for 400 years
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A newly discovered comet is swinging through our cosmic neighborhood for the first time in more than 400 years. Stargazers across the Northern Hemisphere should catch a glimpse as soon as possible — either this week or early next — because it will...
AP PHOTOS: Rare blue supermoon dazzles stargazers around the globe
A rare blue supermoon — the closest full moon of the year — dazzled stargazers Wednesday night. Saturn joined the celestial spectacle, visible alongside the moon, at least where skies were clear. It was the second full moon of August, thus the blue label. And it...
Rare blue supermoon brightens the night sky this week in the closest full moon of the year
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Stargazers are in for a double treat this week: a rare blue supermoon with Saturn peeking from behind. The cosmic curtain rises Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it’s considered blue. It’s dubbed a supermoon because...
A failed lunar mission dents Russian pride and reflects deeper problems with Moscow's space industry
An ambitious but failed attempt by Russia to return to the moon after nearly half a century has exposed the massive challenges faced by Moscow's once-proud space program. The destruction of the robotic Luna-25 probe, which crashed onto the surface of the moon over the weekend,...
Russia is back on the lunar path. A rocket blasts off on its first moon mission in nearly 50 years
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A rocket carrying a lunar landing craft blasted off Friday on Russia’s first moon mission in nearly 50 years, racing to land on Earth’s satellite ahead of an Indian spacecraft. The launch from Russia’s Vostochny spaceport in the Far East of the...
The Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend and it's even better this year
NEW YORK (AP) — The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak this weekend, sending bright trails of light streaking across the night sky. With only a sliver of moon in the sky, conditions this year will be ideal for seeing lots of meteors. “If you’ve got...
