Space
Learn about the latest astronomy news and discoveries around humanity’s endeavor beyond the final frontier.
Ozone layer recovery shows what global cooperation can achieve
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The Earth’s protective ozone layer is on track to recover by mid-century, according to a new bulletin released Tuesday, September 16, by the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Calling it “welcome scientific news for people’s and planetary Read More...
Spacey September: 10 dazzling night sky events you won’t want to miss
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM September is shaping up to be a month where the sky itself feels like a calendar of wonders. A total lunar eclipse, bright planets at their peak, and even a rare solar spectacle are just a few of the reasons to step outside after dark. Whether you’re an Read More...
Could space-based solar panels power Europe’s clean energy future?
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A new study suggests that solar panels in space could meet up to 80 percent of Europe’s renewable energy needs by 2050. The research, conducted by engineers at King’s College London (KCL), uses detailed computer modeling to assess the potential of Read More...
What trees can teach us about volcanoes: a new view from space
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The next time a volcano begins to stir, the first signs might come not from smoke or rumbling earth, but from the trees nearby. According to a new NASA-Smithsonian study, trees growing near volcanoes become visibly greener as underground magma releases carbon Read More...
US high school student uses AI to uncover 1.5 million hidden space objects
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A U.S. high school student made headlines by identifying 1.5 million previously unknown objects in space using artificial intelligence. Matteo (Matthew) Paz, a student with a passion for astronomy and coding, developed a machine-learning algorithm that Read More...
ESA's Biomass satellite will weigh the world's rainforests from space to fight climate change
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Following over a decade of development, the European Space Agency (ESA) is on the verge of launching a groundbreaking satellite designed to revolutionize the way scientists observe forests and measure carbon. Set for liftoff on April 29 from Europe’s Read More...
Brilliant green comet makes rare appearance—and it won’t return for 1.4 million years
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every so often, the cosmos offers a rare spectacle that feels timeless yet brand new. This spring, that spectacle is comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN)—a brilliantly green cosmic visitor currently visible in the early morning sky for those in the Northern Read More...
Citizen scientists map space from their backyards with this global telescope network
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the quiet suburb of Monterrey, Mexico, Iván Venzor sat down for dinner with his family while a telescope just a few meters away captured something extraordinary—a distant Jupiter-sized planet briefly passing in front of a star. The flicker of light was Read More...
Tiny sparks, massive implications: how water droplets may have ignited life on earth
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Could the origin of life have begun not with a bolt from the blue but with something far smaller? According to a new study from Stanford University, tiny electrical sparks known as "microlightning," created by interactions between water droplets, may have Read More...
Back from orbit: NASA astronauts return home after unexpected nine-month mission
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM What was supposed to be a quick, eight-day mission turned into an unexpected nine-month cosmic adventure. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were meant to spend just over a week aboard the International Space Station (ISS) last June. But after Read More...