ScientistPankaj: SpaceX Starship launches banana to space, skips giant rocket catch on 6th test flight (video, photos)

Starship launches banana to space, skips giant rocket catch | Space Quiz! The Milky Way and more than 30 nearby galaxies all belong to what? | UFO chief says 'anomalous objects' need careful study

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November 20, 2024

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The Launchpad

Starship launches banana to space, skips giant rocket catch

(SpaceX)

The biggest and most powerful rocket ever built now has a half-dozen launches under its belt. SpaceX's 400-foot-tall (122 meters) Starship megarocket lifted off for the sixth time ever yesterday (Nov. 19), rising off the orbital launch mount at the company's Starbase site in South Texas at 5:00 p.m. EST (2200 GMT; 4:00 p.m. local Texas time). Unlike its last launch, however, the Super Heavy first stage booster did not make it back to the launchpad for landing.

Full Story: Space (11/19)

Space Quiz! The Milky Way and more than 30 nearby galaxies all belong to what?

Learn the answer here!

Galactic neighborhood

Universe zip code

Local group

Stellar nursery

UFO chief says 'anomalous objects' need careful study

(AARO/DOD)

It's never aliens. At least, it hasn't been yet. The United States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities heard testimony on Tuesday (Nov. 19) from Jon T. Kosloski, director of the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO). The U.S. Department of Defense created the office in July 2022 in order to have a single place for military and government personnel to report UFO sightings, or UAP, as they're now known. The new term, short for unidentified anomalous phenomena, encompasses not only unidentified objects or events in the sky, but also those in water, in space or those that appear to travel between these domains.

Full Story: Space (11/19)

Put Interest On Ice Until Nearly 2026

Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? Yes, it sounds crazy. But it's true. The secret: Find a card with a "0% intro APR" period for balance transfers. Then, transfer your debt balance and pay it down as much as possible during the intro period. No interest means you could pay off the debt faster. Find out more

Skywatching

See Mars make a close pass to the moon tonight

(Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)

As seen from the United States, the moon will rise in the east about four hours after sunset and will stay visible throughout the night, remaining high in the sky until after sunrise. Just above the moon will be Mars, shining brightly as an orange-yellow orb. The Red Planet and the moon will also join up in what's known as a conjunction during the close approach. They'll share the same right ascension, the celestial equivalent of longitude that, put simply, measures how far east an object is of the point where the sun intersects the celestial equator on the vernal equinox.

Full Story: Space (11/20)

Spaceflight

Chandrayaan-2 avoids collision with South Korea Danuri sat

(ISRO)

India's Chandrayaan-2 moon orbiter maneuvered in September to avoid a close approach with South Korea's Danuri spacecraft, according to a recent report from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The report said the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter raised its orbit on Sept. 19 to prevent a close approach to Danuri, which was expected to occur two weeks later if Chandrayaan-2's trajectory went unchanged. The report noted that a subsequent maneuver, which took place on Oct. 1, also helped Chandrayaan-2 avoid potential collisions with other orbiters around the moon, including NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

Full Story: Space (11/19)

Science & Astronomy

5 stunning galaxy images tell a story of cosmic evolution

(INAF/VST-SMASH/C. Tortora et al. (2024))

Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) located in the Atacama desert region of Northern Chile, astronomers have revealed five stunning portraits of galaxies in the local universe. The images of these galaxies show their shapes, structures and distributions of stars in stunning and colorful detail. Some of the galaxies are located at the edge of the so-called "local group," a galactic collection that includes our home, the Milky Way, while others are more distant.

Full Story: Space (11/19)

SpaceX

'It's bananas:' Toy fruit becomes Starship zero-g indicator

(SpaceX/collectSPACE.com)

An artificial banana floated peacefully in the microgravity environment of outer space on Tuesday (Nov. 19). No longer needing its attached tethers, it just hung there, suspended in the bay of its steel spacecraft's otherwise empty cargo hold. The fake-but-full-size fruit made history as the first zero-gravity indicator to fly on a SpaceX Starship.

Full Story: Space (11/19)

Entertainment

'Dune: Prophecy' episode 1 - 'The Hidden Hand'

(HBO)

Let's be clear, Frank Herbert's "Dune"-iverse has never been one of cuddly kittens and bright shiny rainbows, so it's not exactly an eye-opening revelation that "Dune: Prophecy," HBO/Max's expansive new "Dune" spinoff prequel series that takes flight on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024 is somewhat of a dark and somber affair.

Full Story: Space (11/18)

Star Wars

SabersPro Luke lightsaber review: A premium duellist saber

(Future)

If you want a screen-accurate movie replica then this isn't the lightsaber you're looking for and we suggest you move along. However, if you're a keen duellist who demands a more streamlined hilt for swishing and swooshing and Luke's your homestead boy, then this lightsaber might be the perfect solution. It's been purposely designed for duelling, while retaining that distinctive "Return of the Jedi" flavor. Add a wealth of features and a fair price, and there's a lot to love.

Full Story: Space (11/19)