NASA's Geocorona Observatory Begins Operations & SpaceX Deploys Starlink Constellation - Space News (Mar 2, 2026)
NASA's Geocorona Observatory Begins Operations & SpaceX Deploys Starlink Constellation - Space News (Mar 2, 2026)
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Topics
- 01
NASA's Geocorona Observatory Begins Operations
— NASA's Carruthers Geocorona Observatory started its primary science mission on March 1, studying Earth's exosphere and ultraviolet hydrogen glow from the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point. - 02
SpaceX Deploys Starlink Constellation
— SpaceX successfully launched 54 Starlink satellites across two Falcon 9 missions on March 1, bringing the total constellation to over 9,900 operational satellites. - 03
Total Lunar Eclipse Incoming Tomorrow
— A total lunar eclipse will turn the moon blood red tomorrow morning, March 3, visible across North America, Asia, and the Pacific with 58 minutes of totality. - 04
Prominent Solar Activity Detected
— The sun erupted with a massive prominence near its north pole on March 2, following days of increased solar flare activity with multiple C-class flares. - 05
Jupiter and Venus Evening Viewing
— Jupiter dominates the evening sky this week in the constellation Gemini while Venus continues its descent toward the western horizon after sunset.
Full Transcript
A blood moon is coming tomorrow, and it's going to be spectacular. But that's not all happening in the skies above us right now. There's a lot of exciting activity both up there and down here on Earth that we need to talk about. Welcome to The Automated Daily, space news edition. The podcast created by generative AI.
NASA's Geocorona Observatory Begins Operations
Let's start with what's happening with our own planet. NASA's Carruthers Geocorona Observatory just kicked off its primary science mission yesterday, March 1st. This spacecraft, which launched back in September 2025, has been getting ready for this moment for months. It's now positioned at the Sun-Earth L1 point, about one million miles from Earth toward the Sun. From that vantage point, it can see something pretty remarkable: the glow of hydrogen in Earth's outermost atmosphere. The observatory carries two ultraviolet cameras that will watch how our exosphere expands and contracts as solar activity changes. Over the next two years, this mission will help us understand how our upper atmosphere responds to space weather events and how planets lose water to space over time.
SpaceX Deploys Starlink Constellation
Speaking of spacecraft doing their thing, SpaceX had a busy Sunday. On March 1st, they launched Starlink satellites from both coasts. A Falcon 9 took off from California in the morning, deploying 25 satellites. Then, nearly twelve hours later, another Falcon 9 launched from Florida with 29 more. Both first stage boosters came back and landed successfully on their respective droneships. These launches brought the total Starlink constellation to more than 9,900 operational satellites in orbit. That's an incredible number when you think about it. SpaceX is now deploying over 500 satellites just this month alone.
Total Lunar Eclipse Incoming Tomorrow
Now, if you haven't heard already, there's something really special happening tomorrow morning. A total lunar eclipse is coming, and depending on where you are, this could be one of the most dramatic skywatching events of the year. The eclipse begins at 3:44 AM Eastern time on March 3rd. The partial phase starts at 4:50 AM, and then totality hits at 6:04 AM. For about 58 minutes, the entire moon will be bathed in Earth's shadow, turning that deep reddish-orange color we call a blood moon. This happens because our planet blocks most of the Sun's light, and what little light reaches the lunar surface gets filtered through Earth's atmosphere. If you can get to a clear location in North America, especially in the eastern parts of the country, you should be able to see this. Just be prepared to wake up early.
Prominent Solar Activity Detected
The Sun has been pretty active lately, and that trend continued into today. A massive prominence erupted near the sun's north pole this morning, March 2nd. These are huge arcs of solar material that shoot up from the sun's surface. This one took several hours to fully develop, and most of the material fell back into the sun, though observers are still tracking whether any material escaped into space. Over the past 24 hours, we've also seen 18 C-class solar flares, which are relatively common but still worth monitoring. One of the larger flares reached C4.5 magnitude. Solar activity has been ramping up, so if you're into space weather, this is an interesting time to be paying attention.
Jupiter and Venus Evening Viewing
If you're planning to do some skywatching this week beyond the eclipse, Jupiter is your main attraction. It's been dominating the evening sky in the constellation Gemini, and it's bright enough that you can easily spot it without any equipment. Venus is also visible just after sunset if you look low in the western sky, though it's been getting lower each night. Saturn has pretty much disappeared into the sun's glare and won't be visible again until next month. Mercury is also in the process of making a transition, heading toward the morning sky. So if you have binoculars or a telescope handy, Jupiter is definitely worth a look this week.
That's what's happening in space and astronomy today. We've got a total lunar eclipse tomorrow morning that's worth losing some sleep over, continued growth of the Starlink constellation, a newly activated NASA observatory watching over our planet, and some pretty active solar behavior to keep an eye on. Make sure to check back tomorrow for the latest in space exploration and discovery. Thanks for tuning in to The Automated Daily, space news edition.