A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
In this NASA handout, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches with NASA'S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope onboard from Launch Complex 39A, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on August 30, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

NASA’s newest space telescope has taken its first look at the stars. The view is blurry for now, but that is exactly what engineers expected.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope captured the test image while traveling to its operating position about a million miles from Earth, according to a Sept. 15 NASA blog post. NASA completed the telescope’s assembly back in Nov. 2025 and launched it on Aug. 30, 2026. Its camera’s detectors remain in their launch position, and the telescope’s optics have yet to be aligned. NASA will use the image as a starting point for bringing the stars into focus.

he image, which zooms into one detector and zooms again to a single star in the insets, offers a baseline the Roman team will work from to align the telescope’s optics and tune the focus. The team will soon activate the instrument’s fine-guidance system, which will mean Roman can lock onto targets. They’ll also focus the observatory, which will shrink each star’s light to appear as a crisp point, rather than the broad, donut-like features seen here (which appear as expected given the instrument’s present configuration). Roman’s science images, which NASA expects to release by early 2027, will be much sharper and reveal the cosmos in exquisite detail.
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Tyler Desjardins (STScI)

The camera is Roman’s Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared imager built to photograph large areas of the sky in fine detail. Each image will cover an area larger than the full moon appears from Earth. That wide view will help scientists survey planets beyond our solar system, investigate dark energy, and map how matter is distributed across the universe.

Before it could take even this first image, the instrument had to be prepared for space. NASA gave its 18 infrared detectors 10 days to dry out, then cooled and activated them. Engineers also checked the camera’s calibration system, filters, and focus mechanism. NASA says the results show it is working as expected.

The team has begun checking Roman’s other major instrument, too. The Coronagraph is designed to block a star’s glare so scientists can detect the much fainter light reflected by planets orbiting it. Engineers have confirmed they can communicate with and control its components from Earth, though further preparation and testing remain.

This image displays the “shaped pupil” masks, each about the size of a U.S. quarter, used in the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Coronagraph Instrument. These precisely engineered components modify the diffraction pattern of starlight to block glare and reveal faint regions surrounding stars.
Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Meanwhile, NASA has raised its estimate of how long Roman could operate. The telescope was designed for a five-year primary mission, with fuel budgeted for up to 10 years. Its first course correction used less than 10 percent of the fuel set aside for that maneuver. Factoring in that saving, extra fuel loaded before launch, and projected savings from maneuvers still ahead, NASA estimates Roman has enough propellant for at least 22 years of potential science operations. (That is a fuel-based projection, rather than a guaranteed mission length.)

Next, engineers will align and focus the telescope and activate a guidance system that lets it hold its view on a target. NASA expects Roman’s first science images by early 2027. For now, the out-of-focus stars provide the team with a starting point — and confirmation that its main camera can detect light in space.



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Early October Prime Day Deals at a glance:

Best headphone deal
Beats Studio Pro
$169.95 (Save $180.04)
A pair of Beats Studio Pro

Best Apple deal
Apple AirPods Pro 3
$199 (Save $50)
Apple AirPods Pro 3

Best Fire tablet deal
Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB)
$76.99 (Save $78)
the Amazon Fire HD 10

Best fire stick deal
the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select with its packaging

Best smartwatch deal
Garmin Vivoactive 6
$229.99 (Save $70)
Garmin Vivoactive 6

Best for Prime members
Audible (standard plan)
$0.99 (99 cents/month for 4 months)
the audible logo

The holiday shopping season will be here before you know it. This week, Amazon announced the return of Prime Big Deal Days for 2026, its fall savings event for Prime members (aka "October Prime Day"). The sale will run for 48 hours from Oct. 6 to 7 and compete with concurrent festivities at Target and Walmart.

Prime Big Deal Days will be an opportunity to get a head start on your Black Friday wishlist — and to get some relief from the RAMageddon price hikes impacting the tech industry this year. For its part, Amazon increased the prices of nearly two dozen Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, Echo smart speakers, and eero routers this summer because of rising component costs. Its upcoming seasonal deals should cancel out some of those markups.

As we gear up for fall, Amazon has already started dropping some early October Prime Day deals, and we've rounded up the best ones below. (Spoiler: So far, the best deals are on Amazon's own devices and services.) Finally, a word of warning: We do expect prices to drop even lower on select Apple products when the sale starts Oct. 6, so you might want to hold out until then. In the meantime, we'll be regularly updating our picks in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days.

Products marked with a ✅ were personally tested and recommended by a member of the Mashable team.

Best headphone deal

$169.95 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $180.04
 

Why we like it

Ahead of October Prime Day, you can save 51% on the Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones. Usually, $349.99, the premium headphones are now just $169.95. Beats is all about audio, and these cans provide support for lossless audio. Similar to AirPods, Beats products also offer seamless connectivity to iOS devices.

More headphone deals

$199.95 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $50.04
 
$39.95 at Amazon
$59.95 Save $20
 

Best early Apple deals

$199 at Amazon
$249 Save $50
 

Why we like it

The basic AirPods just got an upgrade with the new AirPods 5, and last year's Apple AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale. Ahead of October Prime Day, shop the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for $199, a $50 discount. The earbuds have ANC, a more comfortable fit, and bring live translation to the AirPods experience. They're perfect for commuters and even measure your heart rate, which is great for athletes who love a good workout playlist.

More early Prime Day Apple deals

$449 at Amazon
$549 Save $100
 
$399.99 at Amazon
$449 Save $49.01
 

Best Fire tablet deal

$76.99 at Amazon
$154.99 Save $78.00
 

Why we like it

It's no surprise that the best early October Prime Day deals include plenty of Amazon's own gadgets. Case in point: you can grab this HD tablet with 32GB of storage for 50% off. In the midst of a global memory crisis, a $77 tablet sounds pretty appealing to us. This 10-inch tablet has a lightweight design, a decently long battery life, and a crisp, colorful display. According to the Amazon price-tracking site camelcamelcamel, it's never been this cheap before.

More Fire Tablet deals

$94.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $75.00
Amazon makes two 8-inch tablets for kids, both of which come with a durable case, built-in parental controls, two-year guarantee, and a free trial of Amazon Kids+. This model has preset filters for little tykes ages 3 to 7.
$84.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $45.00
Amazon's cheapest Fire tablet is also marked down to an all-time low ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. Our reviewer liked its compact size and speedy performance.

Best Fire TV Stick deal

$19.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $20.00
 

Why we like it

Amazon's cheapest 4K media player faced a $10 price bump in August. Amazon's pre-Prime Big Deal Days price of $19.99 erases that and then some, saving you 60%. If you want to catch up on all of this year's Emmy award winners, then this is one of the best October Prime Day deals so far.

More Fire TV Stick deals

Best fitness tracker and smartwatch deal

$229.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $70
 

Why we like it

Many runners believe Garmin is the gold standard of smartwatches and fitness trackers. And ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, you can grab the Garmin Vivoactive 6 for just $229.99. That saves you $70 off its retail price.

The Vivoactive 6 features an AMOLED display and up to 11 days of battery life, so you can wear it around the clock. It provides energy monitoring and a sleep score so you get personalized tips on how to improve your sleep. Plus, it has 80 built-in types of sport tracking.

More fitness tracker and smartwatch deals

Early October Prime Day toys and gaming deals

Credit: Nintendo
$55.97 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.02
 

Why we like it

The Nintendo Customer Appreciation Sale is a great chance to save on Switch games and accessories, and the sale runs through Sept. 26. Amazon is undercutting Nintendo, Walmart, and Best Buy by a whopping $0.02 cents with this deal, but we're not complaining.

This wireless controller provides better controls for many types of games (both on the Switch 1 and Switch 2) compared to the standard Nintendo Joy-Con controllers, and this is your chance to grab it for its lowest-ever price.

More deals on toys and games

$11.80 at Amazon
$19.99 Save $8.19
We're expecting a lot more Lego deals as we approach Oct. 6. For now, this is the perfect Lego starter kit for young kids — or anyone who loves brick building.
$34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15
There are few things we love more than Lego Prime Day deals. We also love the Lego Botanicals line here at Mashable, and this popular cactus-themed building kit is at an all-time low price.
Credit: Nintendo
$31.49 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $13.50
If you need an extra Joy-Con for your Switch, both single and dual Joy-Con controllers are on sale for a limited time.
Credit: Nintendo
$41.97 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $18.02
In this title for the original Switch console, gamers rejoined Samus Aran for the first new 2D Metroid story in almost two decades. If you missed this one the first time around, then you'll love experiencing it for the Switch 2.

Best streaming and subscription deal

$0.99/month for four months

Why we like it

Right now, Prime members can save 80% on four months of Amazon's audiobook service, paying just $0.99 for their first four months. Your membership lets you download one title per month. including classics, new releases, and BookTok faves like the ACOTAR series. And if 99 cents feels a little high, you can also sign up for a 30-day free trial.

More Amazon subscription deals

Even more early October Prime Day deals

Credit: Skyrover
$449 at Amazon
$619 Save $170
Skyrover has developed a reputation as the closest DJI drone dupe on Amazon, and it does look almost like the real thing. Given the DJI drone ban, this may be your best bet for a drone. It offers 4K/60fps video and 8K photography.

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