Astronomy News and Sky Watch — May 17, 2026

0:03 Calaroga Shark Media. Welcome to Space news and weather today. Here's something to think about. The Voyager I spacecraft, launched in nineteen seventy seven, is now over fifteen billion miles from Earth and still sending data back. The Moon is a slim crescent in the western sky after sunset, setting early and leaving dark skies for the rest of the night. New observations of Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, revealed that its auroras share detailed structural similarities with auroras on Earth, suggesting that the physical processes that generate these lights may be universal across different types of celestial bodies. Follow the arc of the Big Dipper's handle and you'll arc to Arcturus, a golden orange star impossible to miss. It's the fourth brightest star in the entire night sky. There is plenty of activity on the Sun right now. Multiple sunspot regions are crackling with energy, and solar flares could fire off at any time. Northern lights chances remain moderate tonight for viewers in Canada and the northernmost States. The brightest planet, Venus, hangs in the west after sunset. For early risers. Saturn climbs the eastern sky in the pre dawn hours. Along

1:38 March eighth rocket is set to launch later today from Wenchang Space launch site. People's Republic of China, China is behind this one. This is Space News and Weather Today, your AI curated guide to the Cosmos. Sources include NASA and space news from around the world.