The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, will light up the UK skies again on Friday night into Saturday morning. After a stunning display on Thursday night, the Met Office predicts the phenomenon will be visible from northern parts of the UK, including Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England. Some reports even suggest sightings as far south as Suffolk. The best viewing time is expected to be around midnight. Stargazers are advised to find low-light areas and look towards the northern horizon for optimal viewing. Conditions are expected to be favorable despite ongoing severe weather warnings.

Astrophysicist Susanne Pfalzner and her team discovered that a rogue star passing near our solar system disrupted the orbits of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), shifting them from their original paths. Through 3,000 simulations, the researchers found that the flyby of a star, slightly lighter than the Sun, likely caused the eccentric orbits of TNOs like dwarf planet Sedna. This stellar event stretched the boundaries of the solar system and might explain the different types of moons orbiting Jupiter, Saturn, and other outer planets.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis made history as the first non-professional crew to complete a private spacewalk. The pair stepped out of the SpaceX Dragon capsule at 11:52 BST, floating 435 miles above Earth. Isaacman funded the Polaris Dawn mission, which featured four crew members. Their spacewalk, conducted without an airlock, tested specially designed extravehicular activity (EVA) suits. Isaacman expressed awe at the sight of Earth from space. This milestone marks a significant achievement in private space exploration, demonstrating SpaceX's continued innovation.

SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission achieved a significant milestone as its all-civilian crew completed the first privately funded spacewalk on September 12, 2024. Commander Jared Isaacman, a US fintech billionaire, became the first civilian to exit the capsule, followed by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis. The crew orbited Earth at an altitude of 550 km and a speed of 26,000 kph during the extravehicular activity (EVA). Isaacman remarked, "This sure looks like a perfect world" while floating outside the capsule. This historic mission, privately funded and executed, marks a major advancement in commercial space exploration.

A team of astronauts, led by billionaire commander Jared Isaacman, is preparing for the first privately funded spacewalk in SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission. The mission, considered highly risky, involves a spacewalk in orbit and is part of a broader effort to push the boundaries of private space exploration. Final checks are underway as the crew prepares for this groundbreaking event. Polaris Dawn aims to set new milestones in space exploration, with live updates available to follow the mission's progress in real-time. This marks another significant step for SpaceX and private space ventures.

The crew of the privately-funded Polaris Dawn mission is set to attempt the first spacewalk by non-professional astronauts today. Commander Jared Isaacman and a crewmate will exit the SpaceX Dragon capsule, more than 400 miles above Earth, for several minutes in space. Unlike professional astronauts, the crew lacks traditional training and will be using an experimental spacesuit. Notably, the spacewalk will be conducted without the safety of an airlock, a first since the early days of space exploration. Despite the risks, Isaacman, who is also funding the mission, stated the mission's challenges are "worth it."

India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has recorded over 250 seismic signals on the Moon’s south polar region, including 50 unexplained signals potentially linked to Moonquakes. This marks the first seismic data collection from this area since the Apollo missions. The Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) aboard the Vikram lander detected these signals, with 200 correlating to the rover's movement and 50 categorized as ‘uncorrelated events.’ The findings, published in the journal ICARUS, provide new insights into lunar seismic activity and highlight the need for further research to understand these unexplained events.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), will celebrate her 59th birthday on September 19. Due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, Williams, who has been in space since June 6 with Barry Wilmore, will mark her birthday in orbit for the second time. Williams first celebrated a birthday in space during Expedition 32/33 in 2012. Set to return to Earth in February 2025 via SpaceX’s Dragon Crew capsule, she has accumulated 322 days in space. NASA has configured the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as an emergency return option.

SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission has launched, sending four civilians, including SpaceX engineers and billionaire Jared Isaacman, on a historic journey. The crew aims to break records by flying higher than NASA's 1966 Gemini 11 mission and conducting the first-ever commercial spacewalk. The mission, which took off from Kennedy Space Center, is also significant as the crew will explore the hazardous Van Allen radiation belts and test the limits of human space exploration. SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket was used for the mission, with the crew scheduled to spend five days in orbit before returning to Earth.

Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to address the public for the first time since the empty return of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, September 13 from the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission took an unexpected turn when technical issues forced the early return of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, leaving them to extend their stay on the ISS until February 2025. The news conference will provide a unique opportunity to hear about their experiences and challenges during their extended time in space. Williams and Wilmore will share insights into their daily life and work on the ISS.