The fall equinox, which arrives Tuesday in the U.S., brings shorter days, and chances to witness alignment between Earth and the sun. It's a modern version of ancient observances of a celestial shift.

(Image credit: Bilgin S. Sasmaz)

The Federal Aviation Administration launched an ambitious $875-million-dollar push to make the U.S. airspace more efficient. But critics say it won't solve bigger problems with air traffic control.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

Paramount's owners have made concessions to 12 Democratic state attorneys general to settle a lawsuit that endangered the media company's bid for its larger Hollywood rival, Warner Bros. Discovery.

(Image credit: Noam Galai)

This week, world leaders convene for the U.N. General Assembly as war continues in Ukraine and the Gulf. And, President Trump has proposed that his arch serve as a military complex.

(Image credit: Angela Weiss)

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Embracing the Equinox

Depending on your locale, equinoxes can be seen as harbingers of longer nights and gloomy weather, or promising beacons of nicer temperatures and more sunlight. Observing and predicting equinoxes is one of the earliest skills in humanity’s astronomical toolkit. Many ancient observatories around the world observed equinoxes along with the more pronounced solstices. These days, you don’t need your own observatory to know when an equinox occurs, since you’ll see it marked on your calendar twice a year! The word “equinox” originates from Latin, and translates to equal (equi-) night (-nox). But what exactly is an equinox?

An equinox occurs twice every year, in March and September. In 2026, the equinoxes will occur on March 20, at exactly 14:46 UTC (or 7:46 AM EDT), and again on September 23, at 00:05 UTC (or September 22, 2026, at 5:05 PM PDT). The equinox marks the exact moment when the center of the Sun crosses the plane of our planet’s equator. The day of an equinox, observers at the equator will see the Sun directly overhead at noon. After the March equinox, observers anywhere on Earth will see the Sun’s path in the sky continue its movement further north every day until the June solstice, after which it begins traveling south. The Sun crosses the equatorial plane again during the September equinox, and continues traveling south until the December solstice, when it heads back north once again. This movement is why some refer to the March equinox as the northward equinox and the September equinox as the southward equinox.

Our Sun shines equally on both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during equinoxes, which is why they are the only times of the year when the Earth’s North and South Poles are simultaneously lit by sunlight. Notably, the length of day and night on the equinox isn’t precisely equal; the date for that split depends on your latitude, and may occur a few days earlier or later than the equinox itself. The complicating factors? Our Sun and atmosphere! The Sun itself is a sphere and not a point light source, so its edge is refracted by our atmosphere as it rises and sets, which adds several minutes of light to every day. The Sun doesn’t neatly wink on and off at sunrise and sunset like a light bulb, and so there isn’t a perfect split of day and night on the equinox – but it’s very close.

Equinoxes are associated with the changing seasons. In March, Northern Hemisphere observers welcome the longer, warmer days heralded by their vernal, or spring, equinox, but Southern Hemisphere observers note the shorter days – and longer, cooler nights – signaled by their autumnal, or fall, equinox. Come September, the reverse is true.

Originally posted by Dave Prosper: February 2022

Last Updated by Kat Troche: March 2026

The Republic of Albania signed the Artemis Accords Monday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, joining the coalition of like‑minded nations committed to the responsible and transparent exploration of space.

“It is my privilege to welcome the Republic of Albania as the 73rd signatory of the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson. “The relationship between our nations goes back more than a century. Today, we extend that partnership into space.”

Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha signed on behalf of the country. Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the United States Ervin Bushati and the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Space and Environment Connor Tomlinson also participated in the event.

“It is a great honor for Albania to join the growing community of nations that have signed these important Artemis Accords,” said Hoxha in remarks during the ceremony. “By taking this step, Albania affirms its commitment to peaceful, transparent, sustainable, and cooperative exploration of space. We do so as a country deeply committed to international law, multilateral cooperation, and the belief that humanity’s greatest achievements are realized not in isolation, but through partnerships.”

Marking a significant step in Albania’s efforts to strengthen its use of space‑based data, Albania launched two dedicated Earth‑observation satellites, Albania‑1 and Albania‑2, in January 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an example of how the United States is supporting Albania’s capabilities in space.

Albania also has played an active role in NASA’s Space Apps Challenge, hosting local events that connected students, technologists, and innovators with NASA’s openly available Earth and space science data. NASA Space Apps is the world’s largest annual global hackathon, mobilizing participants in more than 150 countries to develop creative solutions to real-world challenges using open data from NASA and partner space agencies to advance exploration for the benefit of all.

In 2020, NASA and the State Department joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. They introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between nations as they explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond, committing nations to: 

• Explore peaceably and transparently 
• Render aid to those in need 
• Enable access to scientific data 
• Ensure activities do not interfere with those of others 
• Preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices 

By signing the Artemis Accords, nations open the door to opportunities for future lunar exploration with NASA, advancing humanity’s return to the Moon, and shaping the Golden Age of space exploration and innovation. 

Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:  

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords

NASA kicked off its State Hubs for Skilled Technical Workforce initiative Sept. 15, 2026 with awardees at Space Center Houston. Agency leadership convened State Hub partners to align strategy and build momentum while focusing on partnerships, small business engagement, and next steps.

“The NASA State Hubs initiative is a top priority for the agency, because we know the space economy is really accelerating across the country,” said Elaine Ho, associate administrator for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “It’s energizing to watch our partners come together to put real plans into action to help students advance into well paying, rewarding technical jobs. I am excited about what’s ahead.”

NASA State Hubs project leaders and agency, state, and federal partners gathered in Houston to connect with peers, hear presentations from each State Hub, and explore workforce needs, skillsets, credentials, and hiring trends.

In August, the agency selected seven projects representing states across the country: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas, and Utah. Each Hub will offer programs tailored to its state’s unique aerospace industry and workforce priorities, ensuring students get opportunities that meet those needs.

During the meeting, NASA leadership and awardees discussed challenges impacting the STEM workforce pipeline, including limited coordination between industry, community colleges, and state economic development entities, difficulty scaling job programs, and misconceptions about manufacturing jobs.

In the coming months, NASA State Hub awardees will finalize approaches and begin delivering programming, tools, and resources that connect students across their state with the technical skills and hands-on experiences that prepare them to join the aerospace workforce.

Together, NASA and its State Hubs partners are mapping out the path to a future aerospace landscape powered by career ready workers who can build what comes next, advance NASA’s missions, and sustain America’s leadership in space.

For more information on NASA State Hubs, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-state-hubs

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Perseverance’s View of ‘Turquoise Bay’

Description

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to capture this 360-degree panorama of “Turquoise Bay,” a geologic area of interest in the “Margin Unit.” The 818 images used to create the natural-color panorama were captured between Oct. 5 and Oct. 16, 2023, the 933rd to 944th Martian days, or sols, of the mission.

Figure A is an enhanced-color version, in which color bands were processed to improve visual contrast and accentuate color differences.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover. Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.

For more about Perseverance: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/

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