Published By: Devyani

Science & Space Roundup: Top News of the Day (July 19)

Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.

Friday Falcon Flight: SpaceX Adds 24 Satellites to Growing Starlink Fleet

(@SpaceX/X)

Under the California stars last Friday night, SpaceX lit up the sky with another Falcon 9 launch. The rocket blasted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 8:52 PM Pacific time, carrying 24 new Starlink internet satellites. About nine minutes later, the upper stage successfully dropped them off, headed for low Earth orbit.

The real star of the show? The Falcon 9's first stage. It nailed its landing on the Pacific-based droneship "Of Course I Still Love You," marking its impressive 14th successful mission.

This was SpaceX's 88th Falcon 9 flight of 2025 and their 516th launch overall. With this fresh batch (Group 17-3), the active Starlink constellation now boasts nearly 8,000 satellites out of over 9,200 launched since 2019. This network beams the internet to remote areas and even offers direct-to-cell service for compatible phones.

Astronomers Discover Cosmic Waltz: Distant Rock Orbits Sun Once Every 10 Neptune Trips

(@cosmoknowledge/X)

Astronomers have discovered a fascinating cosmic dance at the solar system's edge! A weird space rock, named 2020 VN40, moves in perfect rhythm with Neptune. While Neptune circles the Sun roughly 10 times, this icy world beyond Neptune makes just one incredibly long journey, lasting about 1,648 Earth years!

Scientists suspect Neptune's gravity might have snagged 2020 VN40 long ago, locking it into this slow-motion waltz. This discovery helps us understand the dynamics of these distant, frozen realms. "It's a big step," says researcher Rosemary Pike. "It shows Neptune's influence reaches far out, giving us new clues about our solar system's history."

The rock's unique beat was spotted by the LiDO survey, which hunts for objects on wild, tilted orbits far above or below the planets' usual plane. "It's fascinating how many small bodies follow these extreme paths," notes team member Samantha Lawler.

Astronomers Stumble Upon a 'Cosmic Unicorn': Dead Star Defies Physics by Speeding Up

(@ExploreCosmos_/X)

Astronomers have spotted a truly bizarre spinning dead star using powerful radio telescopes, calling it a "cosmic unicorn" because it’s so weird and rare. Named CHIME J1634+44, it belongs to a puzzling new class of objects called Long Period Radio Transients (LPTs), which blast out radio waves every few minutes or hours - way slower than typical pulsars.

But this "unicorn" stands out even among LPTs. It’s the brightest and most polarized one ever seen, and its pulses seem strangely choreographed. Most baffling? It’s the only LPT whose spin is actually speeding up, defying expectations. Astronomers think it might be a tight cosmic duo - likely a neutron star or white dwarf orbited by a companion, like another dead star or a failed "brown dwarf" star. Their gravitational dance could explain the speeding spin.

Adding to the mystery: its radio bursts are 100% circularly polarized, meaning the waves spiral out like perfect corkscrews - something never seen before from these objects. Plus, its pulses arrive in paired bursts only after several silent spins, following a distinct pattern. Astronomers admit they have a real cosmic head-scratcher on their hands as they try to decode what’s making this unicorn tick.

Eyes to the Sky! Southern Delta Aquariid Meteors Peak Around July 29th

(@SPACEdotcom/X)

Get ready for some cosmic fireworks! Every summer, from mid-July into early August, Earth cruises through dusty debris left by a huge ancient comet called 96P Machholz. When these tiny particles slam into our atmosphere, they burn up, creating the fleeting streaks we call the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower.

Your best shot at seeing them? Aim for the pre-dawn hours around July 29th, the shower's peak. That's when you might catch up to 8 faint meteors per hour. Plus, a thin crescent moon means darker skies - perfect for spotting these elusive "shooting stars."

Look towards the constellation Aquarius, near the star Delta Aquarii – that's your shower's namesake and general starting point. While folks in the Southern Hemisphere get the prime view, northern stargazers can still see them, just fewer per hour.

Want to maximize your chances?

  • Escape the city lights. Find real darkness.
  • Be patient. Let your eyes adjust for at least 30 minutes.
  • Get comfy. Lie back, relax, and scan the sky slightly away (about 40 degrees) from the Aquarius radiant point. Meteors seen here often have longer, more dramatic trails!
  • Bonus: If you spot a bright meteor racing from the north, it could be an early Perseid - another summer favorite starting up.

Happy stargazing!