the moon
Latest about the moon
![A full moon rises in Chile's Atacama Desert.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qNVj6TWFZnBrZvybZTQzTK-320-80.jpg)
February's full 'Snow Moon' rises this weekend. Here's why it's one-of-a-kind.
By Jamie Carter last updated
February's 'Snow Moon', the second full moon of 2024, will be the farthest from Earth this year and will appear the smallest in the sky when it rises on Saturday (Feb. 24).
![April 8's total solar eclipse is inextricably linked to one in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada on March 7, 1970, seen here..](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dFK5XB66sQ4Vze4SSyVmMQ-320-80.jpg)
April 8 total solar eclipse: Why this eclipse repeats itself every 54 years
By Jamie Carter published
The total solar eclipse on April 8 is part of a repeating pattern of eclipses that last visited North America in 1970. Here’s why the same eclipse repeats every 54 years.
![An illustration of China's Chang'e 3 lunar lander on the moon's surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/D9wPq3rmc5SY7bsAuR9FrR-320-80.jpg)
China eyes May 2024 launch for 1st-ever lunar sample-return mission to far side of the moon
By Andrew Jones published
China's Chang'e-6 mission is expected to launch in May 2024 and touch down on the moon's far side to collect samples of lunar material to be returned to Earth for study.
![The moon Phobos passes in front of the sun in an image taken by the NASA Perseverance rover on Feb. 8, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/S6CjNnJfEj8FFRze5QMTh5-320-80.jpg)
NASA releases otherworldly footage of solar eclipse on Mars
By Elizabeth Howell published
Last week, the Martian moon Phobos passed neatly between Mars and the sun. NASA's Perseverance rover caught the fortuitous eclipse on camera.
![Heart Nebula captured on an ASI2600mc-pro with a Triad Narrowband Filter.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/m87UfgLY8PT9PK2MLZSXDM-320-80.jpg)
5 beguiling heart-shaped objects found in space
By Brandon Specktor published
From a 'potentially hazardous' asteroid to a pair of galaxies unable to quell their attraction, here are five of the most beautiful heart-shaped objects seen in space.
![The path of the moon's shadow during the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kAJM3nTqKyFgSAwpN527sf-320-80.jpg)
April 8 solar eclipse: What is the path of totality, and where's the best spot to watch?
By Jamie Carter published
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will be visible in 15 U.S. states that sit along the path of totality. But how does the path of totality work, and where's the best viewing spot? Here's everything you need to know.
![A pair of astronauts on Mars](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FVBZ2EBSRXJA2q7BGKgjY5-320-80.jpg)
Will future colonists on the moon and Mars develop new accents?
By Harry Baker published
As humans start to spread out among the solar system, new accents may begin to emerge in isolated colonies. But why does this happen and what will these new accents sound like?
![An illustration of the private Nova-C moon lander built by Intuitive Machines on the lunar surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8sj8zQQTPFtmNzqvjxyCtm-320-80.jpg)
Elon Musk's SpaceX could launch a private moon lander within weeks
By Mike Wall published
Riding aboard a SpaceX rocket, Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander is expected to lift off in mid-February, though the target window has not yet been announced.
![A photograph of the moon's surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QogXFDc2pYrQqjKNWEh6L4-320-80.jpg)
Pinpoint landing: NASA orbiter spies Japan's revived SLIM moon lander on lunar surface
By Brett Tingley published
NASA's images show SLIM's landing site both before and after the probe's touchdown.
![A photograph of the moon's surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nHH5s6okt9GPHcBXEetEh3-320-80.jpg)
The moon is shrinking, causing landslides and moonquakes exactly where NASA wants to build its 1st lunar colony
By Rahul Rao published
The moon has been slowly shrinking for millions of years. Now, as Artemis 3 nears its 2026 launch date, geologists worry about whether moonquakes and lunar landslides will impact landing.
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