Moon

Saturn's moon Mimas has a giant impact crater, named Hershel, that stretches across a third of its surface and makes it resemble the "Death Star" from Star Wars.

An Icy Moon of Saturn May Be Hiding a Vast Ocean Under Its Crust, Surprising Astronomers

Researchers suggest a global ocean lies 15 miles beneath the surface of Saturn's "Death Star" moon, Mimas—a shocking discovery that could redefine what a habitable world looks like

The last total solar eclipse visible from the United States took place on August 21, 2017.

How to Watch the Spectacular Total Solar Eclipse in April 2024

The moon will appear to completely block the sun's light across parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada on April 8—here's how to make the most of this rare celestial phenomenon

The full moon, as seen from Granada, Spain. A new study suggests the moon is shrinking, causing moonquakes that could interfere with planned lunar missions.

The Moon Is Shrinking, Causing Moonquakes at a Potential NASA Landing Site, Study Finds

Though the risk to astronauts is low, the shaking could cause landslides and impact potential long-term settlements at the lunar south pole

Japan's X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) launched from Earth on September 7. SLIM took a fuel efficient route to the moon, touching down on the surface over four months later.

Japan Lands Spacecraft on the Moon

After a successful soft landing, the craft's solar cells weren't charging and it was running out of power

A photo from a camera on one of Peregrine's payload decks shows some of the spacecraft's payloads, as well as a sliver of Earth in the upper right.

Doomed Lunar Lander Will Burn Up in Earth's Atmosphere on Thursday

Astrobotic, the company in charge of the mission, says its Peregrine spacecraft will not reach the moon, and burning it will ensure the lander doesn't end up as space debris

From left to right: Artemis 2 astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman.

NASA Delays Artemis 2, Artemis 3 Moon Missions for Safety Reasons

Artemis 2 has been pushed from later this year to no earlier than September 2025, and the Artemis 3 moon landing will not occur before September 2026

The United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 8, carrying Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander.

American Moon Mission Suffers Fuel Leak, Has 'No Chance' of a Soft Landing

Launched early Monday, the Peregrine spacecraft started losing propellant almost immediately, and the mission, which is carrying NASA scientific instruments, has been derailed

An image of the moon taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft on December 7, 1992. Payloads on next week's commercial mission to the surface include NASA scientific instruments, as well as human remains and DNA launched by private companies. 

Navajo Nation President Asks for Delay of Moon Mission Carrying Human Remains

The commercial launch, scheduled for January 8, is slated to carry human remains to the lunar surface, which the Navajo Nation president calls a "desecration of this sacred space"

Solar eclipse viewers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on October 14, 2023

Nine Dazzling Celestial Events to Watch in 2024

Skywatchers can expect spectacular meteor showers, a comet soaring past Earth and a long-anticipated total solar eclipse

A Quadrantid meteor flies through the sky, as captured by NASA's All Sky cameras.

What to See in the Sky in January: Meteor Showers, Planets and Comets

From the Quadrantids to a "swarm of stars," here are the celestial spectacles you won’t want to miss this month

The Starship rocket on April 17, 2023, ahead of its first test flight. During the uncrewed flight, the booster failed to detach from the spaceraft and the rocket was intentionally exploded.

What to Know Ahead of SpaceX's Second Starship Test Flight on Saturday

Atop the most powerful rocket ever built, the spacecraft is intended to carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon's surface and Mars in the future

An artist's rendition of the collision between Earth and the protoplanet Theia, which, according to the prevailing theory, resulted in the moon's formation.

Mysterious Lumps in Earth's Mantle May Be Remains of the Crash That Formed the Moon

Chunks of a protoplanet called Theia became lodged within Earth after the two worlds smashed together, new computer simulations suggest

A photograph of the moon by the Apollo 17 crew on their return trip back to Earth. The new study analyzes material gathered from the lunar surface during the 1972 mission.

The Moon Is 40 Million Years Older Than Thought, Lunar Rock Samples Suggest

A new analysis of crystals from the moon pushes its age back to just 110 million years after the solar system formed

An annular solar eclipse, captured by the solar optical telescope Hinode as the moon passed between it and the sun.

How to Watch the Annular 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse on Saturday

A partial eclipse will be visible from all of the continental U.S., but only those in Oregon and the Southwest will have a chance to see the glowing ring

A supermoon appears above the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul on August 2, 2023. Thursday's supermoon will be the fourth and final of 2023.

See the Last Supermoon of 2023 Illuminate the Night Sky Thursday

This special type of full moon, which will be slightly larger and brighter than usual, will not occur again until fall 2024

An artist's concept of a simulated view from the rough, icy surface of the moon Europa with Jupiter looming over the horizon.

Jupiter's Moon Europa May Contain Carbon, a Crucial Ingredient for Life

The James Webb Space Telescope found carbon dioxide on Europa's surface, and astronomers say it likely originated in the moon's vast ocean

An artist's rendering of the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission. The satellite will measure X-rays to deepen science's understanding of the universe. 

Japan Launches X-Ray Satellite and Lunar Lander to Space

The satellite will study large bodies in the cosmos, while the lander will attempt to land at a precise location on the moon's surface

A supermoon rises in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2020.

How Rare Is the 'Super Blue Moon' Appearing in Skies Later This Week?

And why do they even call it a "blue moon" when it won't actually be that color?

People in New Delhi celebrate India's successful landing of a spacecraft near the moon's south pole on Wednesday.

India Lands a Spacecraft Near the Moon's South Pole, a First in Lunar Exploration

No other mission has successfully touched down in this scientifically interesting moon region, which contains water ice in lunar craters

A video screenshot of a rocket carrying the Luna-25 spacecraft launching from Russia on August 11. The spacecraft aims to be the first to successfully land in the vicinity of the moon's south pole.

Russia Launches Its First Spacecraft to the Moon in Nearly 50 Years

The country now joins India in a race to make the first-ever successful soft landing near the lunar south pole

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