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NASA’s Moon Orbiter Spots New, ‘Once-in-Century’ Moon Crater

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 WOW OH WOW SPACE PLACERS!!!!!!! Between April 11 and May 22, 2024, after a comet or asteroid the size of a three- to six-story building hit the surface a new crater was created. Officially named McGetchin after pioneering lunar scientist Tom McGetchin, the crater formed on the Moon’s eastern edge. Get all the details here. Be sure to read both articles: NASA And Science article This is so exciting as we will learn much from this impact. I will be searching to see if there was a visual magnitude estimate of the impact itself.  Here's a question: "If this hadn't hit the moon would it have intercepted Earth at some point?" More research for me ;-) LUNATIC (IN THE ASTRONOMY SENSE) Sky Guy Greg
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The Most Promising Worlds Beyond Our Solar System

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 Hey, Space Placers! September 11, 2026 Six New Planets There are six new planets this week, comprising two warm Jupiters and four cold, giant microlensing planets. These additions bring the archive's total confirmed planet count to  6,366 . Meet our newest members:  HD 715 b ,  HD 278555 b ,   KMT-2025-BLG-0026L b ,  KMT-2025-BLG-0030L b ,  KMT-2025-BLG-2272L b , and OGLE-2016-BLG-0261L b . Click on a planet name to go directly to its System Overview page, or browse the  Planetary Systems  and  Planetary Systems Composite Data  tables. News panel image credit: NASA Fascinating read here. USEFUL EXOPLANET LINKS https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/ https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/exoplanet-catalog/ https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/ Sky Guy in VA
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New study reveals common pattern of black hole activity shaping nearby galaxies

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 Hey, Space Placers! The galaxy NGC1386, shown in grayscale on the left and zoomed in to the central region on the right. The colors represent star formation in red, black-hole radiation in blue, and shocks in yellow. Image courtesy Peixin Zhu.  Read all about it! Sky Guy in VA
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VENUS WEEK - EVENING STAR AT ITS BRIGHTEST IN THE WESTERN SKY

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 Hey, Space Placers! Check it out starting tonight! Sky Guy in VA
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Artemis II Astronauts Join Emeritus Program

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 Hey, Space Placers! From left, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot, and Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, conduct leak checks on their spacesuits inside the crew suit-up room in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, ahead of the Artemis II test flight. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett IKE and Reid are out of the astronaut flying corps and are in Emeritus status. Read all about it. I was hoping IKE and Reid would be lunar landing mission commanders. Sky Guy in VA
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NASA, NFL Team Up to Showcase Space, Aeronautics Innovation

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 Hey, Space Placers! A football floats in microgravity aboard the International Space Station, high above the Earth. Credit: NASA Read all about it. Sky Guy in VA
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HEADS UP - VENUS, ISS, BLUEBIRDS

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 Hey, Space Placers! ISS And Space Shuttle Discovery (L) Over George Mason University Observatory Greg Redfern  A LOT is happening in our skies the next few nights. With our nights in the Northern Hemisphere getting longer enjoy these sky sights. Venus blazes in the West as it gets dark and will grab your attention as it heads to greatest brilliancy September 18, 2026. It will move lower in the sky each night and is currently keeping the star Spica company. The International Space Station is always a treat to see.  Sign up here to spot ISS from your location. Get the lowdown on the tennis court sized BlueBird COMSATS that will be making appearances the next few nights. Be sure to use your smartphone or camera to get pics of these events - just use Auto mode to start and adjust as needed. Clear skies and enjoy the show. Sky Guy in VA
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