Mission Mars: The Dangers of Sending Humans to the Red Planet
- 22nd May 2026
- Author: Alex Thompson
What are the dangers faced by those incredible few chosen to attempt arguably the greatest accomplishment in the history of our species?
Space NOW Blog
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![A 1993 artist's impression of a human presence on Mars.]()
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Stargazing Challenges - June 2026
- 18th May 2026
- Author: Dhara Patel
Give our three stargazing challenges in June 2026 a go - how many can you complete?
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![Meteor shower alert.]()
National Space Centre Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower
- 1st May 2026
- Author: Team Discovery (edited: Dhara Patel)
In 2026, the peak of the Eta Aquariids occurs between midnight and dawn on 6 May with up 50 meteors an hour in ideal conditions.
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NASA How Not to Die on Mars
- 29th Apr 2026
- Author: Declan Bark
So, you’ve just booked yourself a ticket to Mars. Your bags are packed and you’re buckled into your spacecraft on top of the rocket, ready to go! And yet, you never actually read to see if Mars is even safe or not… how dangerous could this red planet be really?
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Stargazing Challenges - May 2026
- 19th Apr 2026
- Author: Dhara Patel
Get ready for our stargazing challenges in May 2026 - can you spot them all?
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NASA Meet the Crew of Artemis II
- 2nd Apr 2026
- Author: Dhara Patel
Meet the crew of Artemis II - the first crewed mission to the Moon in half a century.
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![Meteor shower alert.]()
National Space Centre Lyrid Meteor Shower
- 31st Mar 2026
- Author: Team Discovery (edited: Dhara Patel)
In 2026, the Lyrids peak late in the evening of 22-23 April, with a rate of 10-20 meteors per hour.
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Planet Parade
- 30th Mar 2026
- Author: Team Discovery and Leigh Fletcher (Professor of Planetary Science, University of Leicester)
Find out how the University of Leicester have been involved in planetary missions for decades and explore our Solar System's planets this spring with the Planet Parade in Leicester.
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Stargazing Challenges - April 2026
- 20th Mar 2026
- Author: Dhara Patel
Take on our three stargazing challenges for April 2026 to see if you can spot some celestial highlights.
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![Our solar system features eight planets, seen in this artist's diagram.]()
NASA/JPL How to Name the Solar System
- 26th Feb 2026
- Author: Ed Kellond-Turner
So you've found a new celestial object in the Solar System. Congratulations! Now you just have to name it. Unfortunately, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) stands in your way, and they have a few rules about what objects in the Solar System can be called...
