'Star Wars: A New Hope' will return to theaters for 50th anniversary

Happy Friday space fans! | Northern lights may be visible in 18 states tonight | 'Star Wars: A New Hope' returns to theaters for 50th Created for ceo.studentlike.spuniv@blogger.com | Web Version August 8, 2025 CONNECT WITH SPACE.COM       Something amazing every day. SIGN UP ⋅   WEBSITE   The Launchpad Happy Friday space fans! We made it to the end of the week and there's still lots of news happening. We have some potential northern lights action in 18 states this evening (August 8) so keep an eye on your local night skies.  Other stories for today include the Hubble Space Telescope capturing a new look at the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, a new potential exoplanet just 4 light-years away and a mysterious substance on Mars possibly being a new mineral.  It's Friday so we also have some staff recommendations of what we in the newsroom are currently reading/watching/playing, so you can find that at the bottom of our newsletter today. We have all that and more for your daily read.  Thanks for exploring with us.  Keep looking up,  Kenna  Content Manager, Space.com  Northern lights may be visible in 18 states tonight Auroras may be visible from Alaska to Illinois as an incoming solar storm could spark geomagnetic storm conditions overnight. Read More 'Star Wars: A New Hope' returns to theaters for 50th It might not be the big anime-style birthday remake some "Star Wars" acolytes were hoping for, but "Star Wars: A New Hope" will be blasting back into movie theaters to celebrate its landmark 50th anniversary starting in April of 2027. Read More Space quiz! What does the "habitable zone" refer to? Click here for the answer! A zone at the edge of the solar system A zone containing only gas giants A zone away from the main star that allows for liquid water A layer of a planet's atmosphere that could contain oxygen Space Deal of the Day Unistellar eQuinox 2 is over $700 cheaper Explore the wonders of the cosmos and save over $700 on this Unistellar eQuinox 2 bundle, including an official backpack for taking it to dark sky sites. Read More Skywatching What time is the August 9th full moon? The full moon rises on Aug. 9; here are the best times to view the Sturgeon Moon. Read More Spaceflight SpaceX signs deal to fly Italian experiments to Mars "Get on board! We are going to Mars! SpaceX is now offering Starship services to the Red Planet." Read More Science & Astronomy Scientists find black hole with mass of 36 billion suns "This is amongst the top 10 most massive black holes ever discovered, and quite possibly the most massive." Read More Hubble gives best look yet at comet 3I/ATLAS 3I/ATLAS, just the third confirmed interstellar visitor to our solar system, may be up to 3.5 miles wide. Read More Technology Mini spacecraft could travel to nearby black hole "We don't have the technology now -- but in 20 or 30 years, we might." Read More Search for Life JWST spots potential exoplanet 4 light-years away The candidate gas giant orbits Alpha Centauri A, a nearby star much like our sun. Read More Substance on Mars might be undiscovered mineral "The findings suggest parts of Mars have been chemically and thermally active more recently than scientists once believed." Read More Today in Space On this day: Aug. 8, 1977: Salyut 5 station burns up Salyut 5 was a Soviet space station and part of the highly-secretive Almaz military space station program. Full Story: Space (2/27)  Image of day: ESA satellite preps for Ariane 6 launch The satellite will provide data on climate variables such as ozone, air quality and greenhouse gases. Read More Editor's Note What we're reading/playing/watching It's Friday, which means it's time to kick back, recharge and dive into something stellar. Whether you're looking to unwind with a mind-bending sci-fi series or lose yourself in a video game, we've got you covered. Here's what the Space.com team is enjoying this weekend: our latest recs to inspire, entertain, and fuel your curiosity about the universe.      Brett Tingley, Managing Editor: "I'm currently re-reading 'Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire' by Steve Perry. It's a classic Extended Universe novel that really changed how I watch 'Return of the Jedi.' A must-read for SW fans." Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Content Manager: "I just finished 'The Martians' by David Baron. It's all about the turn-of-the-century Mars craze with great characters like Nikola Tesla. The book comes out August 26th so be sure to preorder if you want a copy. We'll have a Q&A with the author up on the website soon."   Monisha Ravisetti, Astronomy Channel Editor: "I'm currently in the middle of reading 'The Morning Star' by Karl Ove Knausgård and it's quite good."      Sign Up  |    Update Profile  |    Unsubscribe Privacy Policy  |    Cookies Policy  |    Terms and Conditions CONTACT US: FEEDBACK  |    ADVERTISE Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036