Friday, April 3, 2026 • Day 3 of Artemis II Mission

EXPLORE THE COSMOS

Your daily portal to the universe — space news, planetary science, astronomy guides & more.

8 planets

200B+ stars in Milky Way

4 astronauts in lunar transit

2 comets at perihelion this week

🚀 ARTEMIS II — LIVE LUNAR MISSION

4 astronauts en route to the Moon — first crewed lunar flight since Apollo 17 (1972)

DAY 3

Flight Day — Translunar coast

Follow Live →

BREAKING

🚀 Artemis II crew now cruising toward the Moon on Day 3 of historic mission ☄️ Sungrazer Comet A1 MAPS reaches perihelion April 4 — may vaporize or survive 🌕 April "Pink Moon" dazzles observers worldwide tonight 📡 Chinese FAST telescope explores rare Rotating Radio Transient RRAT J1574+4703 🪐 Saturn's magnetic shield found unexpectedly lopsided by new study 🔭 ESA negotiating future participation in NASA lunar missions ⚫ Black hole binary merger visualized within the Tarantula Nebula — NASA APOD 🚀 Artemis II crew now cruising toward the Moon on Day 3 of historic mission ☄️ Sungrazer Comet A1 MAPS reaches perihelion April 4 — may vaporize or survive 🌕 April "Pink Moon" dazzles observers worldwide tonight 📡 Chinese FAST telescope explores rare Rotating Radio Transient RRAT J1574+4703 🪐 Saturn's magnetic shield found unexpectedly lopsided by new study

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Top Space & Science News

April 3, 2026

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🔴 LIVE MISSION

Artemis II Astronauts Are Cruising to the Moon — Flight Day 3 Update

Four NASA astronauts aboard Orion are in translunar coast after a critical engine burn successfully sent them from Earth orbit toward the Moon — humanity's farthest journey since 1972. Crew is conducting CPR tests and preparing for the lunar flyby.

Space.com · Apr 3, 2026 | Read Full Story →

☄️ COMETS

Sungrazer Comet A1 MAPS Races to Perihelion April 4 — Will It Survive?

Universe Today · Apr 3, 2026

⚫ BLACK HOLES

NASA APOD: Black Hole Binary Merger Visualized in the Tarantula Nebula

NASA APOD · Apr 3, 2026

🪐 SATURN

Saturn's Magnetic Shield Is Unexpectedly Lopsided — Entry Point for Solar Particles Is Off-Center

SciTechDaily · Apr 1, 2026

🔭 COSMOLOGY

New Quantum Gravity Theory Suggests the Big Bang May Have Unfolded Naturally Without a Singularity

Universe Today · Apr 1, 2026

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📸 NASA Picture of the Day — April 3, 2026

Caught in the Web: Visualization of a Black Hole Merger in the Tarantula Nebula

This stunning composite combines a simulation of a black hole binary system in its final "death-dance" with a real astrophotography image of the Tarantula Nebula — 160,000 light-years away. Even invisible, black holes warp spacetime so powerfully that the nebula appears bent into Einstein rings.

View on NASA APOD →

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The Solar System — Planet Profiles

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Mercury

0.39 AU from Sun · No atmosphere · Surface: −180°C to 430°C

Smallest planet

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Venus

0.72 AU · Hottest planet · 464°C surface · 92× Earth pressure

Earth's twin

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Earth

1 AU · 1 Moon · Only known life · Artemis II launched Apr 1, 2026

Our home

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Mars

1.52 AU · 2 moons · Perseverance rover active · Target for humans

Next frontier

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Jupiter

5.2 AU · 95 known moons · Largest planet · Great Red Spot storm

Gas giant king

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Saturn

9.5 AU · Iconic rings · 146 moons · Lopsided magnetic field

Ringed wonder

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Uranus

19.2 AU · Spins on its side · Ice giant · −224°C coldest

Tilted world

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Neptune

30 AU · Fastest winds in solar system · 14 moons · Farthest planet

Ice giant

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The Moon

384,400 km away · Pink Moon tonight! · Artemis II destination

Active mission

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Pluto

39 AU · Dwarf planet · Heart-shaped nitrogen ice plain · 5 moons

Dwarf planet

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Comets

A1 MAPS sungrazer at perihelion Apr 4 · Comet R3 Pan-STARRS also active

Active this week!

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Sky Tonight — April 2026

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Pink Full Moon

April's full moon rises tonight. Visible all night worldwide.

TONIGHT · ALL NIGHT

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Saturn (Dawn)

Saturn visible in the dawn sky with Mars and Mercury nearby.

PRE-DAWN SKY

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Venus & Jupiter

Dominate the evening sky in April — brilliant pair in the west.

EVENING · W SKY

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Comet A1 MAPS

Sungrazing comet at perihelion April 4 — rare sungrazer event.

TOMORROW · DAWN

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Track Artemis II

Follow Orion spacecraft in real-time using NASA's tracker.

LIVE NOW

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April Lyrids

Lyrid meteor shower peaks April 22 — 10–20 meteors per hour.

APR 22 PEAK

🔭 Full April 2026 Stargazing Guide at Space.com →

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Space Shop — Telescopes & Astronomy Gear

Top-rated telescopes, cameras & space gifts on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate (tag: solarsystem) we may earn from qualifying purchases.

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Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

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