Watch the Launch of Two Lunar Missions and Catch Comet ATLAS Before Its Gone

Read news from the world of astronomy for the week of January 17, 2025.

Having trouble viewing this email? {Click here to read it on the Web.} Read news from the world of astronomy for the week of January 17, 2025. This week in the world of astronomy, say "farewell" to the Gaia Satellite as it finishes more than a decade of science operations. Plus, watch the rippling dust shells of Wolf-Rayet 140 and the launch of the Blue Ghost and the second Hakuto R lunar landers. Pluto and Charon May Have Formed in a “Kiss-and-Capture” Pluto and Charon may have formed differently than we thought. Read More Black Hole Sprouts Jets in Unprecedented Event Astronomers have witnessed X-ray rumblings and a powerful plasma “burp” following a supermassive black hole’s meal. Read More Industrial Project Threatens Dark Chilean Skies An industrial megaproject in Chile is threatening the pristine darkness over Paranal, one of the world’s most important observatories. Read More Galaxy-mapping Gaia Satellite Ends Science Operations After more than a decade in space, the European Gaia spacecraft will end its observations this week. Astronomers are still busy preparing final data blasts. Read More Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Heads to the Moon The first two lunar missions of 2025 — Firefly’s Blue Ghost and iSpace’s second Hakuto R mission — are now headed to the Moon. Read More Webb Telescope Watches Rippling Dust Shells After more than a year in production, a new cosmic film, starring the massive star Wolf-Rayet 140, is out. Read More Mysterious “Little Red Dots” Give Clues to Early Black Holes’ Formation A new look at small red galaxies known as “little red dots” reveals that they’re surprisingly abundant in the early universe. Read More Observing Highlights This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 17 – 26 Venus and Saturn, in the southwest during and after dusk, now appear just 2¼° apart. That's about the width of your thumb at arm's length. Saturn is left of Venus. How early can you first see it? Read More See January's "Planet Parade," plus Comet ATLAS Now Visible in Daylight Catch four planets — Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars — in the evening sky. With good binoculars, Uranus and Neptune also become visible. Read More Grab Your Binoculars for Comet ATLAS's Brief Sunset Show Northern Hemisphere skywatchers can now spot this horizon-skirting comet. It's a beauty. Read More Celebrate Hubble’s 35th Year with This Observing Challenge Join NASA and the Astronomical League in a fun new observing challenge that celebrates Hubble’s 35th anniversary. Read More January Podcast: Mars Meets the Moon Every January millions of us resolve to do something different or better in the coming year. So make a resolution to do more stargazing this coming year! Presented by: Celestron. Read More Community Winter Sky Gazes at Big Lagoon State Park On the weekends of the fist and third quarter moons from November through March, the Escambia Amateur Astronomers will host biweekly gazes at the amphitheater of Big Lagoon State Park.  Read More The World’s Largest Space and Astronomy Expo NEAF is an amazing extravaganza featuring over 100 of your favorite vendors with huge discounts on merchandise and an incredible lineup of guests speakers Plus: Meet the Astronaut for the kids as well as music, raffles, fun and surprises.  Read More   Sky & Telescope | American Astronomical Society | Privacy Policy

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