- 43 debris objects tracked from satellite breakup — Jonathan McDowell
US Space Force cataloged the fragments after a Chinese satellite in a 141-degree retrograde orbit broke apart. The pieces occupy altitudes between 600 and 1100 km. Jonathan McDowell reported the count from orbital tracking data. Continued monitoring will show whether the cloud spreads into neighboring orbits or remains localized. The event involved the Yaogan 50-02 spacecraft.
- ExoMars landing leg tests completed successfully — European Space Agency
Engineers confirmed that the Rosalind Franklin rover’s landing legs deployed as designed during recent ground tests. The same sequence also verified backshell separation. These steps address critical phases ahead of the 2030 Mars touchdown. The European Space Agency shared video of the hardware exercising the full sequence. The tests mark progress toward a safe landing on the Martian surface.
- ROSES-25 adds new theoretical astrophysics network opportunity — NASA Science
Amendment 70 introduces D.4 Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics Networks as a fresh funding line. Notices of intent are required by 15 October 2026, with full proposals due 3 December 2026. The program supports collaborative work on computational models of cosmic phenomena. NASA Science posted the full text on its community page. Researchers can now prepare submissions for the new opportunity.
- SSERVI CAN-5 final text now available — NASA Science
NASA’s Science and Human Spaceflight Mission Directorates released the complete solicitation for the fifth Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. Teams can now prepare proposals that combine lunar and asteroid science with exploration goals. The notice outlines expected research themes and eligibility rules. Details appear on the NASA Science site. The release enables institutions to align projects with the updated priorities.
- LISA science gaps open for community input — NASA Science
Researchers have until 16 September 2026 to submit comments on the LISA Science Gaps 2026 document. The exercise identifies measurement or analysis areas that still need work before the gravitational-wave mission launches. NASA Science posted the reminder to encourage broad participation. Input will shape future calls for proposals. The process helps refine requirements for the space-based observatory.
- Internship offered for AI tools in astrophysics — NASA Science
NASA Headquarters Astrophysics Division seeks one or more interns to apply artificial intelligence across daily operations. The goal is to improve decision-making speed and overall efficiency on mission-related tasks. Candidates should have experience with machine-learning methods. The posting is listed on the NASA Science community page. Selected interns will work on integrating tools into existing workflows.
- ROSES-25 correction issued for HWO precursor investigations — NASA Science
Amendment 70 also contains a technical correction to the D.8 HWO Precursor Science Investigations element. Proposers should review the updated text before submitting. The change clarifies scope and evaluation criteria for studies supporting the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The corrected document is available on the NASA Science site. Teams preparing proposals must account for the revised guidelines.
- Sentinel-3 data tracks decade of climate change — ESA Activities
The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission has supplied consistent measurements of ocean temperature, sea level, and land surface properties. Its third satellite now extends that record into the coming years. The data set has already contributed to multiple assessments of how Earth’s climate systems are shifting. ESA Activities published an overview of the mission’s climate role. The addition of the new satellite ensures continuity of the long-term observations.
- Trio of Pacific cyclones captured from orbit — NASA Science
Earth-observing satellites recorded three simultaneous tropical cyclones in the Pacific basin while the Atlantic remained quiet. The imagery shows cloud structure and rainfall patterns across the active region. NASA Science posted the composite view for public release. Such coordinated events offer opportunities to test forecast models. The observations highlight regional differences in storm activity during the current season.
- Ancient Egyptian artworks linked to unexpected biological sources — Nature Astronomy
Analysis of coffin decorations and wall paintings revealed tissue from a wide range of organisms rather than a narrow set of species. The study appears in Nature Astronomy and traces the materials to animals and plants not previously associated with these artifacts. Researchers used microscopic and chemical techniques to identify the sources. The finding broadens understanding of resource use in ancient workshops. The results challenge prior assumptions about the materials chosen for funerary art.
- Hot subdwarfs examined with AI and Gaia data — Phys.org Space
Vilnius University physicists applied machine-learning methods to thousands of stars in the Gaia catalog to isolate hot subdwarfs. These compact, unusually hot objects challenge standard models of stellar evolution. The team’s approach improves detection rates and highlights new candidates for follow-up spectroscopy. Phys.org Space summarized the ongoing investigation. The work focuses on explaining the high temperatures observed in these compact stars.
- Perseverance images Earth occulted by Phobos — Phys.org Space
NASA’s Perseverance rover recorded a sequence in which Earth passes behind the Martian moon Phobos. The frames show Earth as a bright point disappearing behind the moon’s crescent limb. The observation demonstrates the rover’s ability to capture precise timing events from the Martian surface. Phys.org Space published the image set. The images provide a unique perspective on the relative motions of Earth and Phobos as seen from Mars.
- Lunar occultations of planets and stars approach in September — Universe Today
The Moon will pass in front of Jupiter, Venus, bright stars, and an open cluster during the coming weeks. Observers on Earth can watch these events from different longitudes depending on local timing. The article lists visibility windows and notes that the Harvest Moon on 26 September follows the series. Universe Today provides the schedule for each target. The events allow precise measurements of lunar motion and stellar positions.
- New 1666 manuscript may document Galileo’s early telescope work — Phys.org Space
A University of Limerick researcher identified technical details in a previously unexamined manuscript that appear to describe four-lens telescope experiments. The document could represent the earliest known technical record of an instrument built by Galileo. Further study will compare the described optics with surviving historical examples. Phys.org Space reported the discovery. The manuscript offers new insight into the development of early astronomical instruments.
- Penultimate set of lunar occultations readies for September — Universe Today
Multiple bright celestial objects will be hidden by the Moon before the Harvest Moon arrives later in the month. The geometry offers last opportunities in the current season for timing measurements from ground-based telescopes. Observers are encouraged to record video or visual timings where weather permits. The article supplies predictions for each event. Ground teams can use the alignments to refine orbital data for the Moon.
The transformation of a distant centaur into an active comet offers a direct view of how ice sublimation begins far from the Sun. Observations show the sudden appearance of a coma around an object that had previously shown no activity. This stage bridges the gap between inert Kuiper-belt bodies and the more familiar short-period comets that reach the inner solar system. Continued monitoring will reveal whether the activity persists or fades as the object moves outward again. The event occurred roughly three billion miles from the Sun. What triggers the initial release of volatiles in objects at such great distances remains an open question.
An object the size of a modest city drifting three billion miles from the Sun can shift its closest solar approach by only a few million kilometres after a single gravitational encounter with a giant planet. That tiny adjustment lifts surface temperatures just enough for trapped ices to begin turning directly into gas. The released material expands into a visible coma that radiation pressure quickly stretches into a tail hundreds of thousands of kilometres long. Rotation focuses the heating on one face at a time, so the outburst can appear within weeks rather than over an entire orbit. We still cannot explain why two centaurs on nearly identical paths will behave differently, with one suddenly brightening while its neighbour stays dark through repeated close passages. The precise trigger that decides which bodies activate and which remain inert continues to puzzle observers.
New observations continue to refine our picture of how small bodies evolve across the solar system.
