Outer Space

Cunitz was among the few who saw the truth in Johannes Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, which stated that planets moved in elliptical orbits around the sun. Here, a concept drawing of the Earth and moon in orbit around the sun.

The 17th-Century Lady Astronomer Who Took Measure of the Stars

Astronomer Maria Cunitz might not be such an anomaly, were other women given the same educational opportunities

What thorny ethical issues await us once we make it to Mars? A composite image of the red planet, composed by processing about 1000 Viking Orbiter red- and violet-filter images have been to provide global color coverage at a scale of 1 km/pixel.

When Humans Begin Colonizing Other Planets, Who Should Be in Charge?

The biggest threat humans pose to other worlds is what we don’t know—or what we think we know, but don’t

Unlike the Apollo spacecraft, Orion will have solar panels to help power longer space journeys, as shown in this concept art of the spacecraft orbiting Earth.

What's Really Changed—and What Hasn’t—About Getting Humans to the Moon

NASA’s Orion will combine vintage tech with massive advances in computing power and electronics we've made since 1972

Why Is Pennsylvania Ave D.C.'s Main Thoroughfare and More Questions From Our Readers

Your questions answered by our experts

Watch the moon from this moonscape in Craters of the Moon State Park, Idaho.

Fifteen Perfect Spots to Watch the Total Solar Eclipse as it Crosses the U.S. This Summer

One of the most exciting astronomical event in U.S. history is happening in August

The seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the dwarf star TRAPPIST-1.

Scientists Spot Seven Earth-Sized Planets Orbiting a Nearby Star

This newly discovered solar system presents the best opportunity yet to study potentially habitable worlds, NASA scientists report

This approximate true-color image of the Gusev Crater is one of the three potential landing sites for the Mars 2020 rover.

Check Out NASA's Three Options for the 2020 Mars Rover Landing

Scientists have narrowed down potential sites for the next rover to set wheel on the red planet

An infrared image of 47 Tucanae, a dense globular cluster of stars located roughly 16,000 light years from Earth. A new study has predicted that a black hole lies at its center.

How Astrophysicists Found a Black Hole Where No One Else Could

A new method could help scientists peer inside universe's densest star clusters to find undiscovered black holes

The crew of Skylab 4 in August 1973. From left to right: astronaut Gerald Carr, who commanded the mission; scientist-astronaut Edward Gibson; astronaut William Pogue.

Mutiny in Space: Why These Skylab Astronauts Never Flew Again

In 1973, it was the longest space mission — 84 days in the stars. But at some point the astronauts just got fed up

Blazing Green Meteor Lights Up Midwest Skies

Early Monday morning, the fireball buzzed Wisconsin before breaking up over Lake Michigan

Clocking in at 2.4 billion year old, this space rock is unlike the others.

A Martian Volcano May Have Continuously Erupted for Billions of Years

A space rock found in Northwest Africa provides new clues to volcanic activity on Mars

This image shows a region in Saturn's outer B ring. NASA's Cassini spacecraft viewed this area at a level of detail twice as high as it had ever been observed before. And from this view, it is clear that there are still finer details to uncover. Researchers have yet to determine what generated the rich structure seen in this view, but they hope detailed images like this will help them unravel the mystery.

NASA Releases Spectacular New Snapshots of Saturn’s Rings

Millions of moonlets appear to be tucked inside the debris that famously circles the planet

Visit Kennedy Space Center, the Closest Thing to Space on Earth

Ancient Asteroid Collision Is Still Raining Space Rocks Down on Earth

A new study shows that today's meteorites considerably differ from those of the ancient past

An artist's impression of the gas being stripped away from spiral galaxy NGC 4921

Dark Matter Could Be Destroying Distant Galaxies

The mysterious substance may suck gas from the galaxies—and a gasless galaxy is a dead galaxy

Apollo 17 mission commander Eugene Cernan inside the lunar module on the moon after his second moonwalk of the mission. His spacesuit is covered with lunar dust.

Eugene Cernan: The Last Man on the Moon and So Much More

His experience helped make spaceflight safer

A special fish tank designed for experiments aboard the International Space Station.

Fish Don’t Do So Well in Space

The International Space Station’s resident fish shed light on life in microgravity

SpaceX Gets Back in Orbit: Watch Its Latest Rocket's Remarkable Landing

After successfully deploying ten satellites into orbit, the rocket's first stage adeptly landed on a floating platform

New Hubble Image Captures the Collision of Two Galaxies

A beautiful look at a violent event

Three of Saturn's moons photographed by the Cassini spacecraft

Earth's Moon Could Be Made From 20 Mini Moons

Our celestial buddy could have formed after multiple impacts—not one giant smash up

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