Space
Learn about the latest astronomy news and discoveries around humanity’s endeavor beyond the final frontier.
US high school student uses AI to uncover 1.5 million hidden space objects
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A U.S. high school student made headlines by identifying 1.5 million previously unknown objects in space using artificial intelligence. Matteo (Matthew) Paz, a student with a passion for astronomy and coding, developed a machine-learning algorithm that Read More...
ESA's Biomass satellite will weigh the world's rainforests from space to fight climate change
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Following over a decade of development, the European Space Agency (ESA) is on the verge of launching a groundbreaking satellite designed to revolutionize the way scientists observe forests and measure carbon. Set for liftoff on April 29 from Europe’s Read More...
Brilliant green comet makes rare appearance—and it won’t return for 1.4 million years
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every so often, the cosmos offers a rare spectacle that feels timeless yet brand new. This spring, that spectacle is comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN)—a brilliantly green cosmic visitor currently visible in the early morning sky for those in the Northern Read More...
Citizen scientists map space from their backyards with this global telescope network
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the quiet suburb of Monterrey, Mexico, Iván Venzor sat down for dinner with his family while a telescope just a few meters away captured something extraordinary—a distant Jupiter-sized planet briefly passing in front of a star. The flicker of light was Read More...
Tiny sparks, massive implications: how water droplets may have ignited life on earth
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Could the origin of life have begun not with a bolt from the blue but with something far smaller? According to a new study from Stanford University, tiny electrical sparks known as "microlightning," created by interactions between water droplets, may have Read More...
Back from orbit: NASA astronauts return home after unexpected nine-month mission
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM What was supposed to be a quick, eight-day mission turned into an unexpected nine-month cosmic adventure. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were meant to spend just over a week aboard the International Space Station (ISS) last June. But after Read More...
From Paralympian to astronaut: John McFall’s historic ESA clearance
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM John McFall, a former Paralympian from Great Britain, made history as the first astronaut with a physical disability to be cleared for long-duration space missions. The European Space Agency (ESA) granted him medical clearance, making him eligible for Read More...
How to spot a moon ring: a guide to lunar halos and other moonlight phenomena
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The ring around the moon, also known as the lunar halo, is a breathtaking yet surprisingly common sight in the night sky. Unlike other unusual lunar phenomena, a moon halo can happen at any time of year, but it is most often in the winter. So, if you've seen Read More...
Oldest living microbes discovered in 2-billion-year-old rock give a glimpse into Earth's early life
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A historic finding beneath South Africa's Bushveld Igneous Complex uncovered bacteria that have lived for two billion years, 1.9 billion years longer than previous records. Sealed in rock fissures almost 50 feet underground, these microbes provide vital clues Read More...
Saturn at its brightest: a stargazer's guide to 'Saturn at opposition'
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM This week provides a rare opportunity for stargazers. Saturn will be at opposition on the night of September 7-8, offering the greatest time of year to see the ringed planet. When Saturn is in opposition, Earth is squarely between Saturn and the Sun, making Read More...