A private spacecraft carrying NASA instruments to the surface of the moon in preparation for astronauts to return in the years ahead has reached lunar orbit about a month into its spaceflight.

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I live in the northern hemisphere (Seattle, WA) and I was asked why the Moon's face turns or rotates in the sky. The example given to me: The Moon obviously isn't orbiting quickly (about once every 29 ...

The Odysseus lunar lander fired its main engine for six minutes and 48 seconds Wednesday, putting the spacecraft into a 57-mile-high orbit around the moon and setting the stage for a landing try ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private U.S. lunar lander reached the moon and eased into a low orbit Wednesday, a day before it will attempt an even greater feat — landing on the gray, dusty surface. A ...

The Moon exerts a constant physical influence on Earth through gravity, light, and orbital interaction. Its mass shapes ocean ...

The moon will soon be joined by a new dance partner around the Earth's gravitational pull. But its new pal will stay for only a song or two before returning to the dark of the night. An asteroid, ...

We who love the night sky often regard the Moon with mixed feelings. When full, it ruins almost everything else. Galaxies, nebulae — gone, washed out. The sky actually turns a deep blue during the ...

The Hakuto-R spacecraft has made it to the moon. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. A private Japanese lander has made it to the ...

After a four and a half day journey from the Earth, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully entered orbit around the moon. Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in ...

As of today, July 9, 2025, Earth is experiencing one of the shortest days ever recorded—and it's only the beginning. Following today’s exceptionally brief rotation, similar millisecond-shortened days ...