Solar System
The Earth's solar system, including the sun, moon, planets and satellites
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
When Galaxies Collide: The Fate of the Milky Way
The Hubble Space Telescope shows that we're on a collision course with the nearby Andromeda galaxy—and set to crash in about 4 billion years
June 11, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
In Case You Missed It: the Transit of Venus
If you didn't have a chance to see yesterday's astronomical event, watch this NASA video to see what all the fuss is about
June 06, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How To View This Evening’s Transit of Venus
A few quick tips to keep in mind as you take advantage of the last chance to see Venus pass in front of the sun
June 05, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
What Will We Find in Extraterrestrial Caves?
Scientists hope to look for extraterrestrial life in a new place: recently discovered caves in places like the moon, Mars and Titan
May 22, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The ‘Ring of Fire’ Eclipse You Might See Sunday
For the first time in 18 years, a solar eclipse will be visible in the continental United States
May 18, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Jobs of the Future: How Accurate Were the Soothsayers of 1982 At Predicting Today’s Top Careers?
College graduates take note: Your dream career as a robot psychologist or nasal technologist is just around the corner
May 15, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Picture of the Week: Stephen Hawking in Zero Gravity
The renowned physicist enjoyed the sensation of weightlessness while 24,000 feet over the Atlantic
May 11, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Top Ten Mysteries of the Universe
What are those burning questions about the cosmos that still baffle astronomers today?
May 08, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
