Astronomy News 20 August 2025

Starship Triumphs, Satellite Blitz & a ‘Mother of All Galaxies’: Major Space Highlights (Aug 26–27, 2025)

Key Facts SpaceX’s Starship Soars on 10th Test Flight SpaceX’s Starship mega-rocket achieved a long-awaited breakthrough on Aug. 26, completing its first fully successful test flight after several explosive failures earlier in the program reuters.com spacepolicyonline.com. The 400-foot-tall Starship (comprising the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage) lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas at 7:30 p.m. EDT, and this time everything ran smoothly. The booster separated as planned about three minutes into flight, and the Starship stage reached space where it deployed eight mock Starlink satellites from its novel “PEZ dispenser” bay reuters.com reuters.com. This marked the first ever payload release

27 August 2025

Don’t Miss Tonight’s Cosmic Spectacle: Meteors, Planet Parade & Aurora Alerts (Aug 26–27, 2025)

The Perseid meteor shower ran July 17–August 23, 2025, but its peak was washed out by the nearly full Sturgeon Moon, which NASA estimated reduced meteors by about 75%. Under dark skies, the Perseids would normally yield 40–50 meteors per hour, but this year observers faced about 10–20 per hour or fewer due to moonlight. The Aurigids begin August 28 and peak September 1, 2025, with a maximum of roughly 10 meteors per hour at the peak. On August 27, the Moon will occult Spica (Alpha Virginis) around 15:00 UTC for observers in parts of South America and Antarctica. Saturn

26 August 2025

Astronomy · Aurora · Meteor Showers · Night Sky Events · Planet Parade

Cosmic Spectacle: What to Watch in the Sky on August 25–26, 2025

A rare Black Moon occurred on August 23, 2025, as Summer 2025 had four new moons (June 25, July 23, Aug 23, Sept 21), yielding ultra-dark skies for Aug 24–26. Perseid meteors, peaking Aug 12–13 at up to ~100 per hour under ideal dark skies, were heavily washed out by an 84%-full Moon, leaving observed rates around 15 per hour in many areas. Kappa Cygnids, a minor shower peaking around Aug 16 at ~3 meteors per hour, can still produce slow, bright fireballs, though by late August rates are under 1 per hour. Venus (-4 mag) and Jupiter (about -2

25 August 2025

Astronomy · Cosmic Phenomena · Science · Sky Events · Stargazing

Black Moon Sparks Cosmic Show: Meteors, Planet Parade & Auroras on Aug 24–25, 2025

The New Moon on Aug 23, 2025 at 06:06 UTC creates a rare Black Moon, and Summer 2025 features four new moons (Jun 25, Jul 23, Aug 23, Sep 21), making Aug 24–25 moonless. Perseids are active until about Aug 24 and peaked on Aug 12–13, and with the Moon gone, observers could see roughly 5 meteors per hour late at night to dawn, while peak rates with Moon interference could reach around 15 per hour. Kappa Cygnids (Aug 3–28, peak Aug 16–18) may deliver slow, bright fireballs, typically at about 3 meteors per hour at best. Northern Hemisphere observers

24 August 2025

Astronomy · Auroras · Meteor Showers · Planets · Space Events

You Won’t Believe What Just Happened in Space – August 23–24 Space News Roundup

Rocket Launches and Mission Highlights Space Industry and Global Policy Developments Scientific Breakthroughs and Space Research Each of these stories from August 23–24, 2025 showcases the remarkable breadth of space news in just a 48-hour window – from record-setting launches and novel spacecraft capabilities, to industry shake-ups and policy shifts, to cosmic discoveries rewriting textbooks. It’s a vivid reminder that the space sector is firing on all cylinders: rockets are roaring, regulations are evolving, and researchers are unveiling the cosmos’ deepest secrets. In short, the final frontier had a very eventful weekend – and the sky is no longer the

24 August 2025

Astronomy · Exploration · NASDAQ:RKLB · Science Updates · Space · Space Missions · Space News

Black Moon, Meteors & Auroras: Skywatch Alert for Aug 23–24, 2025

The Black Moon occurs when the new moon reaches Aug 23 at 06:06 UTC, making it the third of four summer 2025 new moons (June 25, July 23, Aug 23, Sept 21) and rendering a moonless sky. The Perseid meteor shower, which peaked in mid-August with up to about 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, is winding down by Aug 23, but a Moonless sky this weekend could yield roughly 5 meteors per hour with occasional bright fireballs. The minor Kappa Cygnids (Aug 3–28, peaking around Aug 16) remain active with at most about 3 meteors per hour at

23 August 2025

Astronomy · Auroras · Meteors · Skywatching · Space Events

Satellite Launch Frenzy, Laser Spaceplane & Cosmic Surprises: 48-Hour Space News Roundup (Aug 22–23, 2025)

Major Satellite Launches and Deployments (Aug 22–23, 2025) New Space Technologies and Innovations in Orbit Government Policy and Funding Developments Space Science and Astronomy Highlights International Collaboration and Space Industry Trends Sources: SpaceX/Space Force launch updates space.com space.com; Spaceflight Now spaceflightnow.com spaceflightnow.com; Space.com News space.com space.com; Keeptrack.space briefs keeptrack.space keeptrack.space; SatNews (Aug 19, 2025) news.satnews.com news.satnews.com; Business Insider Africa africa.businessinsider.com africa.businessinsider.com; DefenseScoop defensescoop.com defensescoop.com; Wired wired.com wired.com; PwC Space Report pwc.com; Space.com Astronomy reports space.com space.com; Roscosmos biosatellite release space.com.

23 August 2025

Astronomy · NYSE:BA · Satellites · Science News · Space · Technology

Cosmic Show on Aug 22–23, 2025: Meteors, Planet Parade, Auroras & More

Perseid meteors continue through August 23, 2025, with the peak on Aug 12–13 under a Moon about 84% full, and by Aug 23 the Moon is new, giving dark skies for meteor watching; the meteors originate from Comet Swift–Tuttle. The minor Kappa Cygnids shower peaks around Aug 16–18, producing about 3 meteors per hour and occasionally slow, dramatic fireballs. Venus and Jupiter form a bright dawn pair in the east around Aug 22, separated by only a few degrees, with Venus at magnitude about −4 and Jupiter around −2. Mercury reached greatest western elongation on Aug 19, 2025, shining near

22 August 2025

Astronomy · Auroras · Meteors · Planetary Events · Skywatching

From a Gene-Edited Baby to Uranus’ Hidden Moon: August 2025’s Biggest Science Breakthroughs

August 2025 was packed with scientific advances across health, space, physics, AI, environment, energy, biology, chemistry, and technology. Below we round up the most significant global science news of the month, with each section highlighting key developments and expert insights. Health & Medicine Space & Astronomy Physics Artificial Intelligence (AI is also accelerating drug discovery: in August, one team used AI to scan genomes of Archaea and identified new antimicrobial molecules effective against superbugs sci.news sci.news. This approach could vastly expand our library of antibiotic candidates, demonstrating AI’s growing role in biology and medicine.) Climate Science Environment & Ecology (In

21 August 2025

Astronomy · Breakthroughs · Genetics · Science News · Technology

Star ‘Stripped to the Bone’, Antarctic Sea Ice Alarm, and Brain Aging Reversed – Science News Roundup (Aug 20–21, 2025)

Space & Astronomy Climate & Environment Health & Medicine Biology & Ecology Physics & Chemistry Technology & AI Sources: The information above is drawn from peer-reviewed studies, official press releases, and reputable science media reports published on August 20–21, 2025. Key sources include Nature and Science journal releases scitechdaily.com scitechdaily.com, NASA announcements science.nasa.gov science.nasa.gov, press releases via ScienceDaily and SciTechDaily sciencedaily.com scitechdaily.com, and newswire reports from Reuters reuters.com reuters.com. All content has been verified for accuracy and is accompanied by direct citations for further reading.

21 August 2025

Astronomy · Climate Change · Neuroscience · NYSE:IBM · Research Highlights · Science News

Secret Spaceplane Launch, 75 Mice in Orbit, and Uranus’ New Moon – Space Highlights (Aug 20–21, 2025)

Satellite Launches & Missions 🚀 Global Space Agency Developments 🌍 (Elsewhere in space agency news: NASA this week opened accreditation for a September event to introduce its 2025 astronaut candidate class and to preview the Artemis II Moon mission nasa.gov nasa.gov. The new astronaut class, selected from over 8,000 applicants, will be unveiled on Sept. 22, while NASA’s Artemis II crew (set to loop around the Moon in 2026) will give press briefings on their training and mission plans. These steps highlight NASA’s ongoing push toward returning humans to the Moon – and eventually Mars – in international partnership.) Private Sector Updates

21 August 2025

Animal Research · Astronomy · Solar System · Space · Space Exploration · Spaceplane Launch

Aug 20–21 Cosmic Extravaganza: Meteor Showers, Planet Parade & Northern Lights Dazzle the Night Sky

The Perseids peak on Aug 12–13 and officially continue through Aug 23, so on Aug 20–21 you may still catch a few meteors, with rates around 10–20 per hour under darker skies when the Moon is about 8% illuminated on Aug 20 and 3% on Aug 21. The Kappa Cygnid shower peaks around Aug 18 with roughly 3 meteors per hour, and it’s known for occasional bright fireballs that can stand out against Perseid activity. For these nights, late‑night to pre‑dawn hours are best for meteor watching, with Perseids radiating from the northeast in Perseus and Kappa Cygnids radiating from

20 August 2025

Astronomy · Meteor Showers · Night Sky Events · Space · Stargazing

Astronomy News 20 August 2025 - 27 August 2025