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Astronomy News 13 August 2025 - 18 August 2025

Breathtaking Skywatching Spectacles on Aug 18–19, 2025: Meteors, Planetary Trio, Auroras & More

Breathtaking Skywatching Spectacles on Aug 18–19, 2025: Meteors, Planetary Trio, Auroras & More

The Perseids meteor shower remains active Aug 18–23, 2025, with peak rates up to 50–100 meteors per hour under dark skies, but a bright Moon 84% full on Aug 12 reduced peak rates to about 10–20 per hour; by Aug 18–19 the Moon wanes to ~23% and ~15% illumination, improving viewing. Auroras could appear around Aug 19 due to the solar maximum and a potential minor G1 geomagnetic storm, offering modest displays at high latitudes if solar wind conditions are favorable. On Aug 19 (and Aug 20), a slim crescent Moon joins Venus and Jupiter in the predawn eastern sky,
18 August 2025
Moon Rocket Breakthroughs, Starship’s Comeback & Cosmic Surprises: Space News Roundup (Aug 16–17, 2025)

Moon Rocket Breakthroughs, Starship’s Comeback & Cosmic Surprises: Space News Roundup (Aug 16–17, 2025)

Launches and Rocket Test Highlights Space Station & Mission Updates New Discoveries and Space Science Highlights Industry and Policy Developments In summary, the period of August 16–17, 2025 was packed with noteworthy space events across the board. From rocket launches (and explosions) to pioneering science findings and significant policy moves, the global space community had a busy weekend. New rockets roared to life – or were grounded for another day – and spacefarers in orbit ventured outside their vehicles. Astronomers extended our cosmic horizon with record-breaking discoveries, even as Earthbound engineers planted the seeds (literally) for sustaining life on future
17 August 2025
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Robots Fight for Gold, New Carbon Allotrope Created, and Record Black Hole – Science News Roundup (15–16 August 2025)

Robots Fight for Gold, New Carbon Allotrope Created, and Record Black Hole – Science News Roundup (15–16 August 2025)

Space and Astronomy Medicine and Public Health Climate and Environment Physics and Chemistry Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Sources: NASA, University of Texas at Austin, University of Oxford, CURE (Cancer Updates), Scientific American, NASA JPL, The News International science.nasa.gov scitechdaily.com chem.ox.ac.uk curetoday.com scientificamerican.com scitechdaily.com thenews.com.pk.
16 August 2025
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Cosmic Weekend Spectacle: Meteors, Planets, and Aurora Hints Light Up Aug 16–17, 2025

Cosmic Weekend Spectacle: Meteors, Planets, and Aurora Hints Light Up Aug 16–17, 2025

The Perseid meteor shower remains active on August 16–17, even though its peak occurred on August 12–13. The meteors originate from debris of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an ancient celestial body well over 5 billion years old. Moonlight washes out fainter meteors, but a few bright Perseid fireballs have still been observed. Meteor rates predawn are expected to be around a dozen per hour at mid-northern latitudes, with the American Meteor Society estimating about 15–20 meteors per hour in ideal conditions (though moonlight will reduce that). Minor sources like the kappa Cygnids contribute about 1 meteor per hour. Venus and Jupiter form
16 August 2025
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Don’t Miss SpaceX’s Dazzling Starlink “Satellite Train” – Here’s How to Watch It

Don’t Miss SpaceX’s Dazzling Starlink “Satellite Train” – Here’s How to Watch It

As of August 2025, there are over 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, with about 8,075 currently functioning and accounting for roughly 65% of all active satellites. Starlink satellites orbit at roughly 550 km (340 miles) altitude and are launched in batches of 50+ on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, with each satellite weighing 260–800 kg depending on version. They are visible because they reflect sunlight, best seen in the hour after sunset or before sunrise when the sun is 10–30 degrees below the horizon, appearing as a moving train of lights. Early satellites were extremely bright, leading SpaceX to test DarkSat
16 August 2025
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You Won’t Believe How Easily You Can Spot the ISS – Ultimate International Space Station Viewing Guide

You Won’t Believe How Easily You Can Spot the ISS – Ultimate International Space Station Viewing Guide

The ISS is roughly football-field-sized, sits about 250 miles above Earth, travels at about 17,500 mph, and completes an orbit every ~92 minutes, circling Earth about 16 times per day. Its orbit is inclined about 51.6° to the equator, so its ground track passes over more than 90% of Earth’s population and it never goes farther north than 51.6° N or south than 51.6° S. It shines by reflected sunlight, is often the third-brightest object after the Sun and Moon, appears as a steady white dot with no blinking, and can flare slightly when sunlight glints off its solar panels.
16 August 2025
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Day Turns to Night: Everything You Need to Know About the Epic August 12, 2026 Total Solar Eclipse

Day Turns to Night: Everything You Need to Know About the Epic August 12, 2026 Total Solar Eclipse

The August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow path of totality across Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small corner of Portugal. Peak totality is magnitude 1.0386, lasting up to about 2 minutes 18 seconds, with the longest land duration at Látrabjarg, Iceland (around 2 minutes). It is the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe in 27 years (since 1999); Spain last had one in 1905 and Iceland in 1954, marking a 121-year drought for Spain and 72 years for Iceland. The greatest eclipse occurs around 17:47 UTC over the Atlantic near Iceland,
15 August 2025
Shoot the Stars in 2025: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Astrophotography

Shoot the Stars in 2025: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Astrophotography

The Nikon Z8, released in late 2023, features a 45.7 MP full‑frame sensor and Night Vision mode, making it a top astrophotography option in 2025. The Canon EOS R6 Mark II, a 24.2 MP full‑frame camera with ISO up to 102,400 and in‑body stabilization, is a versatile astro workhorse around $2,500. The ZWO ASI585MC Pro cooled color camera (~8.3 MP) debuted in 2024 and is priced around $599, offering higher nebula sensitivity than unmodified DSLRs. The Sharpstar/RedCat 51 telescope has a 51 mm aperture and 250 mm focal length (f/4.9), and is praised as a beginner-friendly imaging optic. The Sky-Watcher
14 August 2025
Don’t Miss These Sky Events on August 14–15, 2025: Shooting Stars, Planet Alignments, and More

Don’t Miss These Sky Events on August 14–15, 2025: Shooting Stars, Planet Alignments, and More

Perseid meteor shower remains active August 14–15, with Moonlight washing out fainter meteors and an expected rate around 10–20 per hour. Auroras could appear on August 14–15 due to solar activity, but forecasters expect only mild geomagnetic activity (Kp 5–6, G1–G2) and no major storm. Venus and Jupiter form a bright dawn pair around August 14–15, with Venus at magnitude -4 about 20–30° above the eastern horizon and Jupiter nearby. Saturn is near opposition later in August, at about magnitude +0.4, bright and high in the southern sky for late-night viewing. Mars remains visible in the western sky after sunset,
14 August 2025
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Dobsonian Showdown: StellaLyra 8″ f/6 vs Apertura AD8 vs Orion SkyQuest XT8

Dobsonian Showdown: StellaLyra 8″ f/6 vs Apertura AD8 vs Orion SkyQuest XT8

All three models are 8″ f/6 Newtonian Dobsonians with ~1200 mm focal length and a 203 mm parabolic primary. StellaLyra 8″ f/6 and Apertura AD8 use enhanced aluminum coatings with ~93% reflectivity and a quartz overcoat, while the Orion SkyQuest XT8 uses traditional aluminum coatings with ~89–91% reflectivity. The StellaLyra 8″ and Apertura AD8 feature 2″ dual-speed Crayford focusers (10:1 fine focus), while the Orion XT8 Classic uses a 2″ single-speed Crayford (the XT8 Plus adds a dual-speed). All use Dobsonian wooden mounts; StellaLyra/AD8 employ a GSO-style base with Lazy Susan azimuth bearing and large tension knobs, while the XT8
13 August 2025
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Celestron 8SE vs Skymax 127 vs Vaonis Vespera II – Which Telescope Outshines the Rest in 2025?

Celestron 8SE vs Skymax 127 vs Vaonis Vespera II – Which Telescope Outshines the Rest in 2025?

Celestron NexStar 8SE is an 8-inch (203.2 mm) Schmidt-Cassegrain with a 2032 mm focal length (f/10) on a computerized alt-azimuth GoTo mount. Sky-Watcher Skymax 127 is a 5-inch Maksutov-Cassegrain with a 127 mm primary (about 120 mm effective) and ~1500 mm focal length (f/12), optimized for high magnification. Vaonis Vespera II is a 50 mm apochromatic quadruplet refractor (f/5) with a 250 mm focal length and an onboard 8.3 MP Sony IMX585 sensor, viewed through a smartphone app rather than a traditional eyepiece. The 8SE uses Celestron’s NexStar+ computerized hand controller with a ~40,000-object database for GoTo targeting. The Skymax
13 August 2025
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8-Inch Showdown: NexStar 8SE vs Apertura AD8 vs eVscope 2 – Classic Telescopes Battle Smart Tech in 2025

8-Inch Showdown: NexStar 8SE vs Apertura AD8 vs eVscope 2 – Classic Telescopes Battle Smart Tech in 2025

Celestron NexStar 8SE is an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain with a 203 mm aperture, a 2032 mm focal length (f/10), and a GoTo motorized single-fork alt-azimuth mount. Apertura AD8 is an 8-inch Dobsonian (Newtonian) with about 1200 mm focal length (f/5.9) and a manual, rock-solid wooden alt-az mount. Unistellar eVscope 2 is a 4.5-inch (114 mm) f/3.9 scope with a 450 mm focal length that stacks images in real time via built-in imaging and a Nikon OLED eyepiece. The 8SE and AD8 require occasional collimation to perform optimally, while the eVscope 2 ships pre-aligned with factory alignment. Optical performance places the 8SE
13 August 2025
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Stock Market Today

SGX share price dips at week’s end after record profit; what investors watch next

SGX share price dips at week’s end after record profit; what investors watch next

7 February 2026
Singapore Exchange shares closed 0.4% lower at S$17.57 on Friday, despite reporting record half-year results and a higher dividend earlier in the week. Broker targets diverged after the update, with Maybank and DBS raising targets while Citi stayed bearish. Investors are watching for signs of momentum from derivatives and equity-market reforms as the next session opens Monday.
South32 share price drops 4% in ASX rout — what investors watch before results

South32 share price drops 4% in ASX rout — what investors watch before results

7 February 2026
South32 shares fell 4.1% to A$4.41 Friday as Australian miners dropped in the worst ASX session since April 2025. The S&P/ASX 200 lost 2%, erasing almost A$70 billion in value. South32’s half-year results and interim dividend decision are set for Feb. 12. Markets reopen Monday with investors watching for further volatility.
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