February new moon 2025: The young moon occults Mercury and passes by Venus

Celestron NexStar 4SE telescope on a white background

The moon enters its new phase for February 2025 tonight, leaving the skies nice and dark for observing the many bright planets currently visible in the night sky. The new moon occurs Feb. 27, at 7:45 p.m. EST (0045 GMT Feb. 28), in New York, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. Tomorrow (Feb. 28), the … Read more

Where will the ‘Blood Moon’ total lunar eclipse be visible in March 2025?

graphic showing where in the world will see the total lunar eclipse overnight on march 13 -14.

A total lunar eclipse will occur on March 13-14, 2025 — the first on Earth since 2022 — but only the night side of the planet will get to see it. During this global event, which will occur at the same time across the world, the lunar surface will turn reddish for 65 minutes — … Read more

SpaceX rocket launches private moon lander and NASA ‘trailblazer’ to hunt for lunar water

a moon lander is shown in various stages of mission progression between the Earth and the moon.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The private Athena lunar lander is on its way to the moon. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off shortly after sunset this evening (Feb. 26), carrying Athena and NASA’s ride-along Lunar Trailblazer orbiter aloft against a darkening sky here at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Athena — which was built … Read more

First (and last?) look at Intuitive Machines’ next moon lander’s footpad designs (photos)

a close-up of one of the footpads on a lunar lander shows a tribute to a Hindu spirtual leader printed on the pad's underside

Newly released photos of the next spacecraft to launch to the moon have revealed a detail that the U.S. company behind it really hopes will soon never be seen again. Intuitive Machines on Thursday (Feb. 20) shared images of its second Nova-C lunar lander, “Athena,” as it was being encapsulated within a protective fairing for … Read more

How to watch Intuitive Machines shoot for the moon with daring lunar lander launch for NASA tonight

Watch live! SpaceX to launch IM-2 moon mission atop Falcon 9 rocket - YouTube

Watch live! SpaceX to launch IM-2 moon mission atop Falcon 9 rocket – YouTube Watch On CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Intuitive Machines is poised to launch its second lunar lander in as many years, marking a significant milestone in commercial space exploration. The mission, known as IM-2, is set to lift off on a SpaceX … Read more

Crater-diving hopper ‘Gracie’ launching to the moon aboard private Athena lander this month

a rectangular spacecraft with four legs sits upright on a grey, dusty landscape

A SpaceX launch later this month will send a new type of lunar explorer to the moon. IM-2, the second moon mission by Houston company Intuitive Machines, will lift off from Florida’s Space Coast during a four-day window that opens on Feb. 26. If all goes to plan, Athena will land on a plateau just … Read more

Did Covid lockdowns really cause temperatures on the moon to drop?

Scientists have been arguing about a curious topic recently: Did temperatures on the moon dip due to the world’s Covid-19 lockdown? Last year, a pair of researchers claimed that the shockwaves of the shutdown could be felt as far as the moon, causing a slight dip in lunar surface temperatures. Now, a new paper disputes … Read more

Risks with current Artemis 3 moon landing plan ‘may be too high,’ NASA safety group says

An astronaut in bulky white space suite kneels on the dark grey surface of the moon with a black sky above her.

An annual safety report to NASA has both praise for the agency and also underscores a number of cautionary woes, including the space agency’s undertaking of the Artemis back-to-the-moon with humans campaign. The annual report from the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) has been released. The report observes that NASA has made impressive progress. Challenges … Read more

What brand of golf ball did Alan Shepard hit off the moon? The world may never know

Carlos Villagomez owns a golf ball that he believes was flown to the moon. If indeed it was, he may also hold the answer to a more than 50-year-old bit of trivia that otherwise may be forever lost to time. Villagomez was gifted the ball by Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut to fly into … Read more

The moon will be unusually high in the sky Feb. 7. Here’s why

Even to a casual viewer, the waxing gibbous moon of Friday, Feb. 7 will appear unusual. As it crosses the meridian shortly after 8 p.m. local standard time, it will climb so very high in the sky that from central Florida and southern Texas it will be seen overhead. For watchers in Miami or Brownsville, … Read more