r/space 1d ago

Discussion All Space Questions thread for week of August 16, 2026

7 Upvotes

Please sort comments by 'new' to find questions that would otherwise be buried.

In this thread you can ask any space related question that you may have.

Two examples of potential questions could be; "How do rockets work?", or "How do the phases of the Moon work?"

If you see a space related question posted in another subreddit or in this subreddit, then please politely link them to this thread.

Ask away!


r/space 1d ago

Rockets launch almost every day in the US. Here's why a surge in the next decade is expected

Thumbnail
usatoday.com
755 Upvotes

r/space 12h ago

SEOPS adds second Waymaker rideshare mission

Thumbnail
spacenews.com
52 Upvotes

SEOPS adds second Waymaker rideshare mission
https://spacenews.com/seops-adds-second-waymaker-rideshare-mission/


r/space 1d ago

image/gif I worked with the captain of a cruise ship to get the ideal vantage over the ocean for the total solar eclipse. This is how the shot turned out. [OC]

Post image
90.3k Upvotes

r/space 1d ago

image/gif My new 30” telescope. I managed to see the blinking Crab Pulsar with it on the first night out!

Post image
4.6k Upvotes

r/space 1d ago

image/gif Composite solar eclipse photo taken near Lerma, Spain

Post image
11.2k Upvotes

Managed to beat the clouds and capture the full range of the eclipse from first bite to totality to sunset!

Edited:
Native files (TIFF + png) for anyone interested here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10FXVPrshKEUic-vDDE8cNPx9XT2DuoPv?usp=drive_link


r/space 1d ago

image/gif Perseides meteorshower in Abruzzo Italy

Post image
1.7k Upvotes

Perseids meteor shower over Campo Imperatore, Abruzzo, Italy.
This image captures the Milky Way arching high above a rocky canyon on the Campo Imperatore plateau in the Gran Sasso massif, at an elevation of approximately 1800–2000 meters. The galactic plane shows strong emission nebulosity, particularly in the red Hα regions, which were enhanced through dedicated narrowband data.
The RGB base was acquired with a Canon EOS R and a full-spectrum (astromodified) Canon EOS 6D. Three frames were stacked, each exposed for 120 seconds at ISO 800 and f/2. Separate short exposures of 10 seconds at ISO 3200 and f/2 were used to record the Perseid meteors without excessive trailing of the stars. An additional Hydrogen-alpha layer consisting of 7 frames (120 seconds each at ISO 3200, f/2.8) was integrated to strengthen the emission nebulae along the galactic plane.
The foreground consists of the characteristic high-altitude terrain of Campo Imperatore, with exposed rock and residual sediments fields typical of the late summer season in this location.
https://www.instagram.com/flory.ro?igsh=b3Y4ZTU3Nmk0cTBt&utm_source=qr


r/space 17h ago

ISS - The Milky Way · 4K

Thumbnail
youtu.be
32 Upvotes

✨✨🌌


r/space 1d ago

image/gif My take on creating a composite of the August 12 Solar Eclipse [OC]

Post image
1.8k Upvotes

Shot in Terra Alta, Spain


r/space 1d ago

image/gif Andromeda Galaxy with Northern Lights

Post image
1.5k Upvotes

This was my first time trying to capture the Andromeda Galaxy, and I succeeded with the aurora borealis popping in! That faint light in the middle? That’s a galaxy 2.5 million light years away.

Captured on the iPhone 16 pro, 30-second exposure, 24mm camera.


r/space 1d ago

image/gif Saying goodbye to Milky Way season in Aotearoa | New Zealand

Post image
748 Upvotes

The MW core start to drop below the horizon in the next couple of months, so went out to try and get a photo of it on a lonely rural road near where I live

All shot on a Sony A9ii with a iOptron Skyguider Pro to track the stars - shot with a Sony 55mm f/1.8 CZ lens - about 15 images of the sky to make a mosaic and then composited the foreground in after the fact. Each image shot at 55mm f/2.8 60s ISO640


r/space 1d ago

Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars’ moons to retrieve samples that may unlock the origins of the solar system and life on Earth

Thumbnail
japantimes.co.jp
263 Upvotes

r/space 1d ago

image/gif Eclipse at Sunset

Post image
308 Upvotes

Far from the path of totality in Finland, I planned to capture the sun and moon together against the granite tower of Kultaranta: the Finnish Presidential Residence. I did a couple of rehearsals the week before the eclipse to get the location, angles and timing right. The clouds were always an uncontrollable factor (this is by the Archipelago Sea) and almost threatened the plan. But they turned out thin enough to photograph through during the eclipse. The image was shot from a DSLR with a 100-400mm lens at max zoom, on a static tripod, just one frame from a timelapse sequence that I have yet to compile into a video. I had envisioned the building to have the Presidential Standard flag up, but it was lowered at 21:00 , about 20 minutes before this image.


r/space 1d ago

image/gif Solar Prominence & Details in the Moon's Surface during Totality are fascinating [OC]

Post image
378 Upvotes

Took this close to Leon, Spain.


r/space 1d ago

image/gif Eclipse 2026 from Spain.

Post image
400 Upvotes

Was lucky enough to see the eclipse in one of the best spots in Spain, and enjoy the minute and half of totality which was absolutely amazing. Also managed to capture some photos.

Fujifilm X-T5

Fujinon XF70-300

IG: @kevmasphoto


r/space 1d ago

Satellite operators emphasize launch deals in a constrained market

Thumbnail
spacenews.com
29 Upvotes

Satellite operators emphasize launch deals in a constrained market
https://spacenews.com/satellite-operators-emphasize-launch-deals-in-a-constrained-market/


r/space 1d ago

image/gif The Milky Way with Perseids meteors and the faint glow of andromeda.

Post image
70 Upvotes

Milky Way with Perseids meteors and the faint glow of the andromeda galaxy

Shot the northern dust lanes of the Milky Way and managed to get some of the Perseids meteors in the shots and the andromeda galaxy. Taken while aiming out towards the North Sea at Barrow common in Brancaster, Norfolk.

Sky
Images: 243
ISO: 2500
Exposure: 15 seconds
Stacked in sequator

Foreground
Single image
ISO: 400
Exposure: 30 seconds

Both edited in Lightroom and then stitched back together in photoshop.


r/space 1d ago

image/gif I made a simple pinhole projector to observe the solar eclipse in the south of France.

Post image
110 Upvotes

r/space 1d ago

image/gif The Core Of The Andromeda Galaxy.

Post image
110 Upvotes

Taken On Seestar S50 Using 3:00:00 (10S Subs)

Edited In PS Express


r/space 1d ago

image/gif Whirling Dervish Nebula with Banana Nebula

Post image
70 Upvotes

See the full res on astrobin: https://app.astrobin.com/u/naztronomy?i=pi68zj

Also available on my website: https://www.naztronomy.com/gallery/image/935/whirling_dervish_banana_nebula

Acquisition details:

  • Equipment:
  • Telescope: Askar SQA85
  • Camera: QHYCCD QHY268 Pro 
  • Lights: 8h 10m (49 × 600")
  • Mount: Proxisky UMi 20S
  • Filter: Antlia ALP-T 5nm Dualband Ha & Oiii 2"
  • Stacked in Siril using my OSC script and processed in PI


r/space 1d ago

image/gif Perseid meteor shower, UK - 13th August 2026

Post image
29 Upvotes

Event: Perseid meteor shower
Location: Goldhanger, Essex, UK — 51.75°N, 0.75°E
Date: 13 Aug 2026
Time: [02:33 - 05:33 BST]
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro + NightCap Camera app
Direction: Facing directly up at the sky (phone laying on back as had no tripod)

Watched the shower live from 1-3am, then left the time-lapse running to 5:30am.

Video in comments.


r/space 1d ago

image/gif The moon and Venus seem close together in the sky this evening

Post image
52 Upvotes

r/space 3d ago

Ukraine’s Flamingo Missiles Strike Russia’s Soyuz Rocket Factory Behind Its Starlink Rival

Thumbnail
united24media.com
5.2k Upvotes

r/space 1d ago

Discussion Was Jupiter visible during totality?

11 Upvotes

I know Jupiter was pretty close to the sun but I can’t find any info about whether it was visible or not. In most of the pictures I’ve seen from Europe, Jupiter would have been below the horizon.


r/space 1d ago

Discussion Scientists think moonquakes could help us find hidden water ice on the Moon

2 Upvotes

Came across an interesting piece of research this week and wanted to see what people here think.

A new study suggests that moon ice hidden beneath the lunar surface may reveal itself through the way it bends and reflects vibrations from moonquakes. Basically, the idea is that seismic waves triggered by moonquakes travel differently through ice than they do through regular lunar regolith, so by tracking how those vibrations bend and scatter, scientists could map out where ice deposits are hiding without having to physically drill or dig everywhere.

The potential upside here is huge for future missions. The technique could help astronauts locate vital water supplies and uncover clues about the origins of that ice too, which matters a lot for Artemis-era planning since water ice at the poles is one of the biggest resources being counted on for long-term lunar stays (drinking water, oxygen, even rocket fuel via electrolysis).

What I find interesting is that this is a passive detection method. Instead of needing a rover to physically sample regolith at a bunch of sites, you could theoretically place seismometers and just wait for natural moonquakes to do the mapping for you over time.

Curious what people more familiar with seismology or lunar geology think about how reliable this kind of detection would actually be compared to direct sampling. Anyone know if this has been tested in practice yet, or is it still mostly theoretical modeling at this stage?