The sky, July 5-10: M4 near Antares

The sky, July 5-10: M4 near Antares

Special to CosmicTribune.com, July 5, 2026 Excerpts from weekly Sky & Telescope.com report. SUNDAY, JULY 5 ■ And while you’re doing globulars, here’s a rather different one. Explore the area around Antares using Matt’s column and chart in the June 2026 Sky & Telescope, page 43. In Antares’s binocular field is M4, bigger and closer to us but […]

Existential asteroid threat? China upgrades planetary defense plans

Existential asteroid threat? China upgrades planetary defense plans

Special to CosmicTribune.com, July 1, 2026 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher While China has been considering the problems of asteroid defense since at least about 2020, there may now be real plans for the construction of a Chinese planetary defense capability — with inherit dual-use dangers. On June 30, Chinese state television CCTV featured an official […]

CCP pressure leads to rumors of massive Long March-9 reusable SLV

CCP pressure leads to rumors of massive Long March-9 reusable SLV

Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 18, 2026 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) revealed in August 2023 that it was working to compile a 100-year plan to populate the Earth’s nearby solar system. Thus, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which specializes in long term plans would require large rockets to […]

The sky, June 7-12: Featuring M63; Jupiter and Venus put on a show

The sky, June 7-12: Featuring M63; Jupiter and Venus put on a show

Special to CosmicTribune.com, June 7, 2026 Excerpts from weekly Astronomy.com report. Sunday, June 7 By the time the sky is dark around 10 P.M. local daylight time, the constellation Canes Venatici is still more than 70° high in the west. The Hunting Dogs hold our target for tonight: M63, also known as the Sunflower Galaxy. A […]

The sky: May 31-June 5: May ends with Blue Moon

The sky: May 31-June 5: May ends with Blue Moon

Special to CosmicTribune.com, May 31, 2026 Excerpts from weekly Astronomy.com report. Sunday, May 31 Full Moon occurs at 4:45 A.M. EDT, bringing us May’s second Full Moon and the first — and only — Blue Moon of 2026. Shortly after that, at 5 A.M. EDT, the Full Moon passes 0.4° south of Antares, as both are […]

SpaceX challenge: Test of Starship V3, largest ever space launch vehicle

SpaceX challenge: Test of Starship V3, largest ever space launch vehicle

Special to CosmicTribune.com, May 21, 2026 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher Elon Musk and his SpaceX Corporation have a great deal riding on the now twice-delayed May 21 (6:30pm EST) launch of their two-stage Starship V3, that at 5,300 metric tons (11.7 million pounds) fully fueled will be the largest ever space launch vehicle (SLV). A […]

The sky, May 10-15: Mars reappears in the East at sunrise

The sky, May 10-15: Mars reappears in the East at sunrise

Special to CosmicTribune.com, May 10, 2026 Excerpts from weekly Astronomy.com report. Sunday, May 10 Although still best for experienced observers with larger scopes, Comet 10P/Tempel (also called Tempel 2) is quickly brightening. Glowing at roughly magnitude 15, Tempel 2 is currently in Aquila the Eagle, rising late in the evening and gaining altitude overnight. The best […]

The sky, April 27-May 1: Saturn emerges in pre-dawn sky

The sky, April 27-May 1: Saturn emerges in pre-dawn sky

Special to CosmicTribune.com, April 26, 2026 Excerpts from weekly Astronomy.com report. Sunday, April 26 Let’s look north this evening to examine a strange star: Gamma (γ) Cassiopeiae, which sits at the central peak of the famous W in Cassiopeia the Queen. Shining at magnitude 2.2, although it is quite bright, this sun has no official name […]

The sky, April 12-17: Comet PanSTARRS brightens in the early mornings

The sky, April 12-17: Comet PanSTARRS brightens in the early mornings

Special to CosmicTribune.com, April 12, 2026 Excerpts from weekly Astronomy.com report. Sunday, April 12 While Comets Wierzchoś and Tempel 2 are faint, there’s a breakout star in the early-morning sky that’s cracked naked-eye visibility: Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS). Recently recorded at mid-5th magnitude, although this interplanetary fuzzball is technically within reach of naked eyes, your best […]

The sky, Feb. 15-20: Dark sky for the clusters and planets

The sky, Feb. 15-20: Dark sky for the clusters and planets

Special to CosmicTribune.com, February 16, 2026 Excerpts from weekly Astronomy.com report. Sunday, February 15 The Moon passes 0.9° north of Pluto at 10 A.M. EST. This evening, Saturn passes 0.9° south of Neptune at 11 P.M. EST. The two planets stand together in Pisces, located in the west after sunset. An hour after the Sun goes […]

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