The Lucy flyby of (52246) Donaldjohanson: A bilobed asteroid with tumbling rotation - Science | AAAS

By the end of the weekend, most of the country, from Texas to New England, will experience its coldest air since the spring. THE TAKEAWAYA powerful cold front is sweeping across parts of the country. The cold front is expected to impact much of the central and eastern U. S. Some areas will see temperatures plummet by 40 degrees. A powerful cold front swept across parts of the U. S., causing temperatures to tank for millions in the U. S., bringing the late-season heat wave to a screeching halt. FALL ALLERGIES OR A COLD? HERE’S HOW TO TELL WHAT’S MAKING YOU MISERABLEThe cold front impacted much of the central and eastern U. S., causing temperatures to plummet by more than 40 degrees. The expected temperatures across the U. S. on Saturday.(FOX Weather) Over 60 million Americans are under frost and freeze alerts as the powerful cold front moves across the U. S. The biggest temperature drop has occurred across the Northern and Central Plains into the Upper Midwest, where highs in the 80s have tanked into the 40s and 50s by Saturday.

More than 99% of the US population lives under light-polluted skies, according to a 2016 study published in Science Advances. With streetlights, brightly lit parking lots, arenas, and passing headlights brightening the night, it can be easy to forget how dark the sky actually is and how many stars appear when you get away from populated areas. Seeing that many stars for the first time can make you pause and remember where you truly are. You are on a rock spinning through space, surrounded by a universe filled with stars, planets, and galaxies larger than anything you can imagine. A remote mountain excursion can combine a dark sky encounter with a day of hiking and sightseeing. After sunset, bright stars emerge above the slopes and ridgelines. These American mountains lie within officially designated dark sky locations that protect natural darkness and the views of the universe it reveals. In northeastern New Mexico, Capulin Volcano sits among volcanic cones, mesas, and buttes in one of the darker areas of the lower 48 states. These landforms help shield the night sky from distant lights, while the rugged terrain has discouraged development in the area.

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of October 18-24, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess, except for pro forma sessions, until after the midterm elections. This week has two especially interesting events — the launch of JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission tomorrow (Monday) afternoon EDT, and a NASA update on the Artemis program on Friday — plus many others. We’re also keeping track of the discussions on social media about the very close approach of Russia’s Kosmos 2612 to the U. S.-registered ICEYE X36 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite.