ScientistPankaj: Winter solstice 2023 is here, bringing the longest night of the year to Northern Hemisphere

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Winter solstice 2023 is here, bringing the longest night of the year to Northern Hemisphere

Winter solstice 2023 is here | NASA laser-beams adorable cat video to Earth | Drones accessories Christmas gift guide

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December 21, 2023

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The Launchpad

Winter solstice 2023 is here

(Getty Images)

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere will officially arrive tonight with the rays of the sun shining directly down on the Tropic of Capricorn - latitude 23.43-degrees south - at 10:27 p.m. Eastern Time. At that moment, if you were located in Western Australia at a point near Lake MacKay, the sun will be shining directly overhead and its six-month southward migration will come to an end, marking the beginning of summer for the Southern Hemisphere.

Full Story: Space (12/21)

NASA laser-beams adorable cat video to Earth

(NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Humanity has demonstrated its full potential, using incredible feats of engineering and orbital dynamics to send a video of a cat named Taters to Earth from deep space.

Full Story: Space (12/19)

Space Deal of the Day

Drones accessories Christmas gift guide

(DJI, Future)

If you're looking for the best drone accessories available for all experience levels, for a loved one or even a little treat for yourself this holiday season, we have the perfect holiday gift guide for you.

Full Story: Space (12/20)

Camera Christmas gift guide 2023: Capture the cosmos

(Getty, Nikon, Sigma, Peak Design, Benro, Sandisk, LaCie, COOWOO, BioLite, K&F Concept, Anker, JJC)

You'll find an affordable sub-$20 option, which is great if you're looking for a cheap stocking filler or you're buying a Secret Santa gift and don't have much knowledge about cameras and photography. Then there's a sub-$100 price tier for great quality gifts that don't break the bank, and finally, a $100+ category for if you really want to splurge.

Full Story: Space (12/14)

Star projector Christmas gift guide 2023: Bring space home

(Getty Images, Pococo, Future)

Some star projectors are more toys or night lights than science instruments, suitable for children with an interest in space to help soothe them at bedtime. But other star projectors are great tools for adults, acting either as a relaxation tool with in-built Bluetooth to synchronize with music, podcasts or audiobooks, or a powerful scientific device that can turn your living room into a home planetarium.

Full Story: Space (12/13)

Spaceflight

Virgin Galactic to launch 6th commercial spaceflight Jan. 26

(Virgin Galactic)

The mission, known as Galactic-06, is targeted for Jan. 26, Virgin Galactic announced in a statement issued on Tuesday (Dec. 19). The flight will include four private astronauts - one from Texas, one from California, one from Austria and one jointly from Ukraine and California

Full Story: Space (12/20)

Science & Astronomy

This alien planetary system has a gargantuan Jupiter

(Leandro de Almeida)

Both of these systems contain mini-Neptune planets and one harbors a huge "super-Jupiter" world, all of which are many times more massive than Earth. Studying the realms could lead to a better understanding of how planets form and evolve around sun-like stars - also known as "solar analogs."

Full Story: Space (12/19)

SpaceX

SpaceX fires up giant Starship ahead of 3rd test flight

(SpaceX)

Ship 28 is being prepped to conduct Starship's third test flight, which SpaceX aims to launch in the coming weeks. And that timeline apparently remains in target, for today's trial went well.

Full Story: Space (12/20)

Search for Life

Mars Express orbiter suggests evidence of ancient life

(NASA)

A team from the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory has used spacecraft images and data from ground penetrating radar to create 3D reconstructions of lava flows in Mars' Elysium Planitia.

Full Story: Space (12/20)

Telescopes & Binoculars

Binoculars Christmas gift guide 2023

(Leica, Celestron, Future)

Buying astronomical equipment as a gift for a loved one can be a tricky task if you don't know much about the equipment. Binoculars are a lower-cost alternative to telescopes that can provide hours of enjoyment while stargazing, but how can you tell the good models from the bad ones?

Full Story: Space (12/21)

Telescopes Christmas gift guide 2023: Best for all budgets

(Celestron, Unistellar, Future)

This guide aims to ensure that the telescope you choose meets the requirements of the astronomer in your life, with the instrument not being too difficult or simple to use while ensuring that the buyer -- that's you -- doesn't have to break the bank in order to tick a telescope off your list.

Full Story: Space (12/20)

Entertainment

'Kerbal Space Program 2' update delivers 'For Science!'

(Intercept Games)

Calling all Kerbonauts! Private Division and Intercept Games' "Kerbal Space Program 2" (KSP2) has space enthusiasts and rocket junkies at the edge of their virtual mission control panels as the highly-popular space simulation video game just announced a major new update for armchair astrophysicists and aerospace experts currently playing the sequel's Early Access version.

Full Story: Space (12/20)