Space
Space includes outer space, the sun and planets in the solar system
An Asteroid Will Skim Right By the Earth on Friday Afternoon
The 147-foot-wide rock will pass a scant 17,200 miles from Earth's surface, under the orbits of some telecom satellites
February 12, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
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
The Building Blocks of Life May Have Come From Outer Space
Did meteorites seed Earth the building blocks of life?
February 2013 |
By Ker Than
Watch Jupiter “Kiss” the Moon Tonight
Tonight, night sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere can see Jupiter pass less than a finger's width away from the waxing Moon
January 21, 2013 |
By Mohi Kumar
A 2.1 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Reveals Water on Mars
Chemical analysis shows that the meteorite, discovered in Morocco, contains ten times as much water as any Martian rock previously studied
January 03, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
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
Space Exploration and the End of an Era: Notable Deaths in 2012
Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, Roger Boisjoly and the shuttle program form this year's late greats of space exploration
December 28, 2012 |
By Mohi Kumar
5 Science Stories to Watch in 2013
The new year could feature discoveries of life within subglacial Antarctic lakes, the brightest comet in generations and more
December 28, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Using Only a Camera, Trace the Solar Analemma and Plot the Solstice
When viewed at the same time every day for a year, the Sun traces a pattern in the sky that can help you find out when a solstice occurs
December 21, 2012 |
By Mohi Kumar
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
In Space, Flames Behave in Ways Nobody Thought Possible
Combustion experiments conducted in zero gravity yield surprising results
December 2012 |
By Ker Than
Astronomers Discover the Most Explosive Black Hole Yet
The newly discovered quasar spews an amount of energy equivalent to more than two million suns
November 28, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
A Wandering “Homeless” Planet is Spotted in Deep Space
Astronomers have spotted an object roughly 100 light-years away that appears to be a planet not associated with any star
November 16, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
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
Did the Pilgrims Really Land on Plymouth Rock and More Questisons From our Readers
Where do hurricanes start, the Big Bang, sea gulls and other answers from the Smithsonian’s experts
November 2012 |
By Smithsonian Magazine
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
