Outer Space
The void beyond the atmosphere of any celestial body- Explore more »
How Much Water Is in a Cloud and More Questions From Our Readers
Imaginary numbers, Roy Lichtenstein and much much more
April 2013 |
By Smithsonian magazine
How Far Can Voyager I Go?
The spacecraft will run out of power around 2025, but where will it travel to first?
April 2013 |
By Ken Croswell
UPDATED: Has the Voyager 1 Probe Finally Left the Solar System?
New data indicate the spacecraft, launched in 1977, has neared interstellar space, more than 11 billion miles away from the Sun
March 20, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Scientists Map Buried Flood Channels on Mars in 3D
Deep channels, buried under lava but now mapped with satellite data, give hints to the planet's violent, wet and recent past
March 07, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
New Photos Show Stars on the Brink of Death and the Precipice of Life
Haunting images of spiral galaxy M106 and the stellar nursery of the Orion nebula capture the life cycle of stars
February 06, 2013 |
By Mohi Kumar
“Earth-Like” Exoplanets May Actually Be Mini-Neptunes
Many newly discovered exoplanets may not be able to shed their dense hydrogen atmospheres, making them unsuitable for life
February 05, 2013 |
By Mohi Kumar
PHOTOS: Getting Ready for the World’s Largest Radio Telescope
In Chile’s Atacama Desert, astronomers are preparing for a new array that will stretch across 10 miles
January 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Mythical Particles, Goldilocks Planets and More: Top 5 Surprising Scientific Milestones of 2012
From the Higgs Boson to the Curiosity rover, 2012 was a major year for science
December 14, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How the Moon Was Made
A new type of evidence found in lunar rocks indicates that an enormous collision between a young Earth and a Mars-sized object formed the moon
October 17, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Newly Discovered Comet, Headed Toward Earth, Could Shine as Bright as the Moon
Comet C/2012 S1(ISON) could become the brightest comet anyone alive has ever seen
September 28, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Timothy Ferris on Voyagers' Never-Ending Journey
With the spacecraft poised to leave our solar system, the writer who helped compile the time capsules they carry reflects on our deepest foray into outer space
May 2012 |
By Timothy Ferris
Fast Forward: The Dark Energy Camera
Get a sneak peak at the new project that will search for mysterious cosmic energies that drive our universe
May 2012 |
By Mark Strauss
What Is on Voyager’s Golden Record?
From a whale song to a kiss, the time capsule sent into space in 1977 had some interesting contents
April 23, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Picture of the Week: A Deep View of the Universe
A new survey of a slice of the distant reaches of the universe reveals 200,000 galaxies
March 30, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
NASA Spacecraft Samples a Snowing Moon
Saturn's Enceladus is spurting water vapor, organic material and salt—a microbe-friendly composition
March 28, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
Could the Death Star Destroy a Planet?
Students in England concluded that the Star Wars space station could easily have destroyed an Earth-like planet
January 11, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
A Holiday Angel Among the Stars
The star-forming region Sharpless 2-106 bears a certain resemblance, particularly during this time of year
December 23, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
No Evidence Yet of ET, White House Says
If there's an alien conspiracy, the President doesn't know about it
November 09, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Five Last-Minute Science-Themed Halloween Costume Ideas
No one else will be dressed like dark energy
October 31, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
