JWST sees rare Tatooine-like exoplanet | SpaceX announces IPO for 2026 | 57 ways to watch a star die

Mars's rivers finally mapped | What we're reading/playing/watching Created for ceo.studentlike.spuniv@blogger.com | Web Version   December 12, 2025 FOLLOW US FOLLOW US   Something amazing every day SIGN UP ⋅   WEBSITE   The Launchpad SpaceX announces IPO launch with trillions on the table Private space company SpaceX has announced their plans to go public, with an IPO seeking a valuation of $1.5 trillion. The move will apparently help fund the buildout of orbiting data centers. Other stories for today include a rare Tatooine-like exoplanet with a 300-year orbit, astronomers discover 57 ways to image a dying star and Blue Origin targeting Dec. 18 for a tourist flight that will include the first wheelchair user to fly to space.  It's also Friday, so as we head into the weekend we have your weekly staff recommendations of "what we're reading/playing/watching." You'll find those suggestions from our team at the bottom of your newsletter.  We have all that and more for your daily read.  Keep looking up, Kenna Content Manager, Space.com Astronomers spot Tatooine-like exoplanet in old data The planet formed 50 million years after the dinosaurs died, making it incredibly young in cosmic terms. Read More Satellite swarms may block space telescopes by 2030s "The natural question that comes up is: how many more space telescopes will be affected when all these constellations are launched?" Read More Space quiz! Which early astronomer coined the term "nova"? Click here for the answer! Galileo Galilei Johannes Kepler Tycho Brahe Isaac Newton   Spaceflight Blue Origin to launch first wheelchair user on Dec. 18 Liftoff of the suborbital NS-37 mission is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET on Dec. 18. Read More US Space Force installing drone defense near launch sites The new system will also involve testing new experimental technologies developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and National Reconnaissance Office. Read More Science & Astronomy New close-up images show nova explosions in space Two new stars, or nova eruptions, have been resolved in unprecedented detail by six optical telescopes operating in unison as an interferometer. Read More Astronomers reveal 57 ways to capture a dying star "With ALMA, we can now see the atmosphere of a dying star with a level of clarity in a similar way to what we do for the sun." Read More SpaceX SpaceX plans 2026 IPO release with $1.5T valuation The move will apparently help fund the buildout of orbiting data centers. Read More 300th SpaceX flight of 2025 sends Starlink into orbit Liftoff occurred at 5:01 p.m. EST on Thursday (Dec. 11). Read More Search for Life First map of old Mars rivers could reveal ancient life "We did the simplest thing that could be done -- we just mapped them and pieced them together." Read More Today in Space On this day: Dec. 12, 1967: Pioneer 8 launches to sun On Dec. 12, 1967, NASA launched the Pioneer 8 spacecraft on a mission to study the sun. Read More Photo of day: Comet Lemmon & Milky Way over Hawaii Hawaiian stargazers got a particularly special treat recently. Read More Editor's Note What we're reading/playing/watching Whether you're looking to unwind with a mind-bending sci-fi series or lose yourself in a video game during the coming weekend, we've got you covered. Here's what the Space.com team is enjoying at the moment:  Anthony Wood, Skywatching Writer: "I'm reading Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles (Xmas tradition) and starting Monster Hunter Wilds." Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Content Manager: "I'm currently reading 'The Mountain and the Sea' by Ray Naylor as I write about octopuses so everyone around me told me to read it because (spoiler) it's about octopuses."  Brett Tingley, Managing Editor: "I finally started playing Deep Rock Galactic so that when 'asteroid miner' becomes a viable career path, I know to survive in the new capitalist dystopia in the cosmos."  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 Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036