Space & Physics: The total solar eclipse of 2026

Plus, a newfound ‘black hole star’                    

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August 13—This week’s most spectacular story was unquestionably yesterday’s total solar eclipse, which swept across a swath of the northern hemisphere for several hours. SciAm personnel were on the ground to document the event as it unfolded—check out what they and others saw. Elsewhere, we have stories on a newfound “black hole star,” the Pentagon’s latest batch of declassified UFO files, daring maneuvers to extend the lives of NASA’s Voyager spacecraft, and much more. Enjoy! Thoughts? Questions? Let me know via e-mail (lbillings@sciam.com), X or Bluesky. —Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Physical Sciences

Top Stories

See the 2026 total solar eclipse from around the world From a partial eclipse over Berlin to totality over Spain, see some of the incredible images of the August 12 total solar eclipse Claire Cameron

‘Black hole stars’ from the dawn of the universe are coming into focus First glimpsed as “little red dots” in deep-space images from the James Webb Space Telescope, these giant, gas-shrouded black holes are full of surprises Lee Billings

Big universe, tiny cost. Immerse yourself in science with a subscription to Scientific American. Get 90 days for just $1!

NASA’s Voyager 2 survives daring ‘big bang’ maneuver After 49 years in space, NASA’s Voyagers are running low on power—but an audacious move should extend the tenures of the two spacecraft Meghan Bartels

Everything you need to know about the 2026 total solar eclipse Follow all the latest updates about the August 12 eclipse with Scientific American Claire Cameron, Lee Billings

Latest Pentagon UFO files release includes video of mysterious ‘cold orbs’ This new cache of material includes footage of a U.S. military plane’s infrared display recorded during an exercise over the Gulf of Oman in 2021 Adam Kovac

Stunning new images reveal cosmic cycle of death and rebirth A new study of the Helix Nebula shows a never-before-seen detail of how dying stars recycle elements. Researchers found it by accident Mary Randolph

Life on Earth may have emerged not once but twice The last common ancestor of all living things may not have been alive at all Stephanie Pappas

How a sheet of paper can take you to the moon Folding a piece of paper makes it thicker. How many folds would it take to reach the moon—and beyond? Phil Plait

No, Anthropic’s AI didn’t just solve math’s hardest problem There’s a $1-million prize for proving the Riemann hypothesis. Claude couldn’t pull that off, but it made significant progress on a related problem Joseph Howlett

New images reveal the Lion Nebula in all its majestic glory This dying star appears to have a face of gas and a mane of space dust Mary Randolph

What We're Reading

Here’s how engineers plan to save the satellite sent to save NASA’s Swift mission | Ars Technica U.S. Space Command identifies capabilities it needs for the next space war | Space News Mike Fincke, Astronaut Who Spent 549 Days in Space, Has Retired | The New York Times

From the Archive

‘Little Red Dots’ Spied by JWST May Be Baby Black Holes in Disguise Puzzling red spots in images from the James Webb Space Telescope are probably young supermassive black holes obscured by dense cocoons of gas Lee Billings

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Total solar eclipse 2026 thrills millions (photos, video)

Total solar eclipse 2026 thrills millions (photos, video) | Radiation-shielding vest aced Artemis lunar test | New 'Perceptor' probes will keep an eye on satellites Created for ceo.studentlike.spuniv@blogger.com | Web Version   August 13, 2026 FOLLOW US FOLLOW US   Taking you out of this world, every day SIGN UP ⋅   WEBSITE   The Launchpad Total solar eclipse 2026 thrills millions (photos, video) Eclipses come and go way too quickly. We are still reeling from yesterday's total solar eclipse. But if you missed the excitement, or simply want to relive the magic, we have an incredible variety of photos and videos that will transport you right into the spectacular experience. But as we come down from the eclipse excitement, there's a lot more going on in space. In orbit around Earth, we are getting more and more satellites all of the time. New "Perceptor" probes aim to keep track of satellites in geostationary orbit, a far-off orbit around Earth that's a popular destination for reconnaissance (or spy) satellites. And speaking of wild technology, a newly-designed radiation-shielding vest just passed a critical test. As we send astronauts back to the moon and one day possibly to Mars, it's important that we explore the different technologies that could best protect them.  Check out what's big in space below: See for yourself!   Spaceflight Radiation-shielding vest aced Artemis lunar test A radiation-shielding vest aced its Artemis I lunar test in 2022, suggesting that it could protect astronauts on long-duration missions to the moon or Mars. Protecting astronauts Technology New 'Perceptor' probes will keep an eye on satellites Astranis' newly announced Perceptor spacecraft will monitor satellite activity in geostationary orbit, a distant and increasingly contested domain. How will it work? Science & Astronomy 1-billion-year-old Mars meteorite found in Algeria Scientists found a Martian meteorite on Earth that is finally filling in a nearly 2-billion-year-old geology-history gap on the Red Planet. Like nothing we've seen Farthest 'black hole star' ever found could solve mystery A distant black hole star is providing strong evidence that these objects lie at the hearts of the mysterious little red dots found shortly after the Big Bang by the James Webb Space Telescope. But how? Today in Space Total solar eclipse stuns skywatchers  This photo, snapped just as the Aug. 12 solar eclipse was about to enter its totality phase, really captures the drama of the moment. What a sight On this day! Game-changing Earth satellite launches The WorldView-3 Earth-observing satellite. A historic day Entertainment Inside the 'Strange New Worlds' lookalike episode Haven't we seen your face before? On the final frontier, your identical face twin is never far away… A strange legacy 'Star Wars: Zero Company' — Everything we know XCOM meets the Clone Wars in Star Wars: Zero Company, the upcoming turn-based strategy game coming in 2026. Will you play it? Editor's Note Editor's Note That's it for our space update today! We know the eclipse is over, but it doesn't feel over! We will still be spending quite a bit of time today poring over the incredible photos and videos. We are especially excited to revisit the moments captured by Space.com correspondents Daisy Dobrijevic and Anthony Wood who took us along with them to experience the total solar eclipse from Greenland and Spain. I, for one, was living vicariously through their reporting and breathtaking photographs.  But the fun doesn't stop there. As we come down from the excitement of the eclipse, we will soon start gearing up for the next major event: the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Space.com will be reporting live from this launch, and we can't wait to take you along with us. To follow closely along and stay up to date with all things space, you can now get Space.com right in the palm of your hand with our new app available now on iOS and Android. Ad astra, per aspera Chelsea Gohd Content Manager, Space.com   Stay up-to-date on all things space science, news, and entertainment by subscribing to our newsletters. Sign Up   Follow SPACE Contact Us: Feedback | Advertise Sign Up | Update Profile | Unsubscribe Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms and Conditions When you purchase through links in our content, we may earn an affiliate commission.   Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036