Space exploration and Earth science dominate today's astronomy news, from observing seafloor spreading to discovering cosmic binary asteroids, while celestial viewing opportunities and synthetic biology breakthroughs capture scientific attention.

Japanese spacecraft captures first detailed images of a 'contact binary' asteroid—two space rocks fused together—providing unprecedented data on how celestial bodies interact and merge in space.

Scientists directly observe seafloor spreading for the first time as tectonic plates separate, documenting a fundamental geological process previously understood only through indirect evidence and theoretical models.

Mysterious metallic spheres discovered in northeastern Australia identified as space debris from a launch, highlighting the growing issue of orbital junk re-entering Earth's atmosphere.

Stargazers can observe the waning crescent moon passing near the Pleiades star cluster (Seven Sisters) in early July, creating a striking celestial pairing visible to the naked eye and enhanced by binoculars.

Researchers achieve breakthrough in synthetic biology by creating lab-made cells with artificial DNA that can feed and multiply, bringing prospects of engineered organisms for pharmaceutical and fuel production closer to reality.

Study suggests geoengineering approach of dimming the sun could help mitigate the risks of growing super El Niño events and their devastating global climate impacts.

Deep-sea creatures are thriving as Arctic ice melts, benefiting from nutrient-rich icebergs' castoffs—a rare ecological silver lining to climate change in ocean ecosystems.

Blue Origin prepares to raise private capital for the first time, signaling a major shift in the commercial space industry and potential acceleration of private space ventures.

Research universities shrink doctoral programs due to uncertain federal funding, raising concerns about the future of scientific research and the training of next-generation scientists.