Solar System
The Earth's solar system, including the sun, moon, planets and satellites
Newly Discovered Earth-like Planet Could be Habitable
44 light years away, scientists have detected a planet that might be the right temperature to hold liquid water, a precondition for life
November 08, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Sun’s Swirling Green Gases of Wonder
Unprecedented images from space capture the Sun’s true beauty
November 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Recapping ‘The Jetsons’: Episode 06 – The Good Little Scouts
A camping trip to the moon might seem fanciful, but 1960s advertisers were already promoting space tourism
October 29, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The Orionid Meteor Shower Will Light Up the Skies This Weekend
Debris shed by the legendary Halley's comet could make for an impressive meteor show
October 19, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Sex and Space Travel: Predictions from the 1950s
The cure for lonely space missions? One astronomer proposed hiring astronaut concubines
October 18, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
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
A New Great Depression and Ladies on the Moon: 1970s Middle School Kids Look to the Year 2000
The ideal future according to a ten-year-old: shorter school days, lower taxes, and lots and lots of robots
October 12, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
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
How Does the Tiny Waterbear Survive in Outer Space?
A special adaptation allows the tiny animal known as the tardigrade to curl up into a dry, lifeless ball and survive for decades
September 11, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
What the Discovery of Hundreds of New Planets Means for Astronomy—and Philosophy
New telescopes are allowing us to look at space more accurately than ever – and what they uncover could change our world
September 2012 |
By Timothy Ferris
Your Last Chance to See a Blue Moon Until 2015 is Friday Night
The moon won't actually be blue in color, so where did this strange term originate?
August 29, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The 5 Coolest Planets Orbiting Distant Stars
Of the hundreds of exoplanets discovered by scientists, we list of some of the most interesting
August 14, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How Do You Tell Time on Mars? There’s an App for That
NASA has produced an app that helps scientists and amateurs alike keep track of time on the Red Planet
August 09, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Curiosity, NASA’s Most Advanced Rover Yet, Is About to Land on Mars
The mobile laboratory will learn about the red planet's climate and geology, hoping to determine whether it once could have supported life
August 02, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Wernher von Braun’s Martian Chronicles
In 1954, a special issue of Collier's magazine envisioned a ten-ship flotilla to the red planet.
July 30, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
New Chemical Allows Blind Mice to See
A new synthetic replacement for rod and cone cells may someday bring vision to those with macular degeneration or inheritable forms of blindness
July 26, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
NASA Successfully Tests Inflatable Heat Shield for Descending Spacecraft
A new type of heat shield, made of kevlar-woven fabric and an inflation system, survived a 288-mile descent to Earth
July 24, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Should Pluto’s Planet Status Be Reinstated? Not Yet
The discovery of a fifth moon circling Pluto has some questioning where the "dwarf planet" category still applies to this faraway member of the Solar System
July 16, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Scientists Discover That Mars is Full of Water
After looking closely at a pair of meteorites that originated on Mars, researchers now believe the planet likely holds vast reservoirs of water deep underground
June 22, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Mission to Mars: The Radiation Problem
NASA wouldn't opt to expose astronauts to a 19 percent increased risk of cancer, but there's no telling what a reality TV show would do
June 20, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
