#artemis-ii

#artemis-ii

Stargazers looking ahead to February's highlights should make some time to look up not only during the night, but also during the day. In addition to the first solar eclipse of the year and a "planet parade," there's also have a historic crewed mission around the moon and one of your best shots at spotting the usually washed-out Mercury. Southern hemisphere stargazers may be able to spot fireballs from a minor shower early in the month.

The moment space fans have waited more than 50 years for is almost upon us, as NASA prepares to launch its Artemis II mission to the moon. But as the space agency counts down to the historic launch, experts have revealed everything that might go wrong. From a devastating fire on the launch pad to the sudden loss of power mid-flight, the astronauts - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - must be prepared for every eventuality.

Like the moon's shadow sweeping across the globe during a total solar eclipse, astronomy-focused tourism is taking the world by storm. And in 2026, there are plenty of celestial reasons to travel. You've likely already heard of the August 2026 total solar eclipse, which is undoubtedly the year's marquee event, but you can also travel for everything from rocket launches to meteor showers. These are the astronomy events that can turn trips into once-in-a-lifetime experiences-and where to go to see them at their best.

The Artemis II mission represents a major step forward for NASA and seeks to send four astronauts-Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen-around the Moon and back. The 10-day mission will be the first time astronauts have left low-Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. The mission's Space Launch System rocket has been stacked and declared ready for flight. The Orion spacecraft is in the final stages of preparation and will be attached to the top of the rocket later this year.