Space
Learn about the latest astronomy news and discoveries around humanity’s endeavor beyond the final frontier.
NASA's Roman space telescope heads to deep space after surviving budget cuts
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A space telescope with 100 times the sky coverage of Hubble lifted off from Florida this past Sunday. Astronomers have been waiting nearly a decade for this. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope survived two White House attempts to cancel it and is now on Read More...
Your guide to September's best night sky events in 2026
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM September is a transition month for the sky. The Milky Way's core is still visible in the Northern Hemisphere, but not for much longer. The nights are getting longer, Venus is at its most radiant all year, the Harvest Moon is coming, and the autumn equinox Read More...
Student Makers: teen volunteers are teaching STEM across three continents
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In 2022, a group of high schoolers designed 150 LEGO-inspired airplane kits, 3D-printed them one by one, assembled them by hand, and shipped them to a school in Kenya. How is that for a nonprofit origin story? Student Makers was founded in California in Read More...
The sun’s surface has whirlpools. Here’s why they may be the engine behind space weather.
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There’s something slightly odd about the fact that we’ve had solar telescopes for more than a century and still couldn’t quite see the sun’s surface. We're already aware of the big stuff: plasma bubbling in convective cells, sunspots forming where Read More...
Greece launches nanosatellite system to catch wildfires early
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Conventional satellites can’t detect a wildfire until it’s roughly the size of a cruise ship. Greece just launched four that catch them when they’re four meters (about 13 feet) across. The four OroraTech nanosatellites, each smaller than a carry-on Read More...
8 sky events all stargazers should catch this month
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The flower moon came and went on May 1. Most of what makes this month interesting is still ahead. This week: the Eta Aquarids The Eta Aquarids run from late April through late May, but their peak falls overnight on May 5 and 6. They’re fast, bright, and Read More...
Artemis II shows the moon can still unite a divided world
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When 15 Girl Scouts in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, gathered to watch the Artemis II launch, troop leader Heather Willard wasn't sure how captivated they'd be. Then the rocket lifted off. "All of the girls were mesmerized," she said. Across the Read More...
8 night sky events to catch this February, from a planetary parade to the Milky Way’s return
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM February may be the shortest month of the year, but it more than makes up for lost time when it comes to cosmic action. From the return of the Milky Way’s bright core to an otherworldly “ring of fire” eclipse, the sky is staging a spectacular lineup Read More...
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...