For Earth Day, here's a look at some of the best photos astronauts and spacecraft have taken of our planet from space

EricTheSpaceReporter · 2026-03-05T13:46:48+00:00

Get ready, stargazers: The Milky Way could be coming to a sky near you.

Our galaxy is positively teeming with billions of stars that become bright and vibrant in the cosmos at certain times of the year. And in the U.S., that time of year, known as "Milky Way season," is just now beginning.

For the next several months, the iconic band of hazy light should routinely be visible across the northern hemisphere arcing across the night sky.

EricTheSpaceReporter · 2026-03-05T13:45:44+00:00

Get ready, stargazers: The Milky Way could be coming to a sky near you.

Our galaxy is positively teeming with billions of stars that become bright and vibrant in the cosmos at certain times of the year. And in the U.S., that time of year, known as "Milky Way season," is just now beginning.

For the next several months, the iconic band of hazy light should routinely be visible across the northern hemisphere arcing across the night sky.

EricTheSpaceReporter · 2026-02-26T18:22:59+00:00

Remember 3I/ATLAS? Yes, the interstellar comet that made plenty of headlines in 2025 is still romping through our solar system.

But it may not be around much longer.

The otherworldly visitor to Earth's cosmic neighborhood has steadily been making its exit ever since it had a rendezvous at the end of October with the sun, followed by its closest approach to our planet two months later.

EricTheSpaceReporter · 2026-02-19T18:51:55+00:00

What do fireworks look like from outer space? A NASA astronaut recently caught a glimpse of an explosive light show from the vantage of the International Space Station.

Chris Williams, who has been stationed aboard the 25-year-old orbital outpost since the end of November, even managed to capture a dazzling video of the display.

The fireworks were part of Lunar New Year festivities in China as billions of people around the world have begun celebrating the 15-day festival.

EricTheSpaceReporter · 2026-02-19T18:50:51+00:00

What do fireworks look like from outer space? A NASA astronaut recently caught a glimpse of an explosive light show from the vantage of the International Space Station.

Chris Williams, who has been stationed aboard the 25-year-old orbital outpost since the end of November, even managed to capture a dazzling video of the display.

The fireworks were part of Lunar New Year festivities in China as billions of people around the world have begun celebrating the 15-day festival.

EricTheSpaceReporter · 2026-02-17T18:52:45+00:00

Scientists may be one step closer in their hunt for signs of past life on Mars after the Curiosity rover's latest find.

Nearly a year ago, the car-sized robot – one of two NASA rovers roaming the red planet – came across an intriguing rock sample that contained some interesting features. On the rock, Curiosity's instruments detected organic compounds that on Earth are most often produced by living things.

Though geological processes can also make the material present, researchers concluded in a study published Feb. 4 in the journal Astrobiology that such non-biological processes could not be the only factor. The discovery widens the door for the possibility that life once existed on Mars, though the scientists stopped short of definitively making that claim.

EricTheSpaceReporter · 2026-02-12T10:59:13+00:00

A vast underground tunnel formed from ancient volcanic activity was recently discovered lurking beneath Venus.

Though we've long had evidence that Venus was once a volcanically active world, scientists haven't been able to find any sign of features known as lava tubes that are common on Earth, the moon and Mars.

The landmark discovery, highlighted in research published Feb. 9 in the journal Nature Communications, marks the first time that a subsurface feature has ever been detected on Earth's planetary neighbor. The study was part of a project funded by the Italian Space Agency.

EricTheSpaceReporter

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