Astronomy
Vote on Names for Pluto’s Teeny Moons
Styx, Orpheus, Erebus or something else? What should Pluto's moons be named?
February 11, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
New Research Disproves Prehistoric Killer-Comet Theory (Again)
Maybe the problem here is that other prevailing theories of the Clovis’ decline are just super boring by comparison
January 31, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Iran Says It Sent This Traumatized-Looking Monkey to Space
Western nations fear the same technologies deployed in Iran's space program could be used to develop ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads
January 28, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Mona Lisa Travels by Laser, to Space And Back Again
To test the reaches of laser communication, NASA beamed a digital image of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait to a satellite orbiting the moon
January 25, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
NASA’s Curiosity Team Gives Us a Geeky Reason To Go to the Inauguration Parade
Although the rover itself could not make the trip from Mars, a full-size model will roll in the parade alongside the real-life crew
January 18, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
To Understand the Largest Structure Ever Found, We Need to Rethink the Basic Principles of the Universe
These 73 quasars—massive, extremely remote celestial objects—stretch for about 4 billion light years
January 16, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Doomed Satellite’s Final Act Was To Film the Moon’s Surface From Just 30,000 Feet Above
Get a jet airliner's view of the surface of the Moon
January 14, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Earth Escapes Most Dangerous Asteroid (That We Know About)
Once given a 1-in-45 chance of smacking into the Earth, the odds are now effectively zero
January 11, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Now Accepting Applications for Mars Colonists
The 2023 move, by the way, is permanent
January 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
You Can’t Throw a Rock in the Milky Way Without Hitting an Earth-Like Planet
A new estimate says there are 17 billion Earth-like planets in the Milky Way
January 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Get Ready for the Best Meteor Showers of 2013
The year's first shower, the Quadrantid shower, is already behind us, and star gazers will have to wait until April (generally considered to be the start of meteor shower season) for the next big show
January 08, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
One Family Lived on Mars Time for a Month
While a Martian day is only 39 minutes and 35 seconds longer than an Earth day, the differences quickly add up
January 07, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
This Is What a Watery Mars May Have Looked Like
Mars once had a vast ocean. What would that have looked like?
January 03, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
NASA Wants to Drag an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon
If going to an asteroid is hard, maybe bringing an asteroid to us is easier?
January 03, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Smithsonian Heads to Hawaii
Coral reefs and radio telescopes make a trip to the tropics more than worthwhile
January 2013 |
By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Will We Be Able to Prevent an Asteroid Strike and More Questions From Our Readers
Does lightning strike ships at sea and why does American English differ from British English?
January 2013 |
By Smithsonian Magazine
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
This Is What the End of All Time Looks Like
Feel like having your tiny human mind blown? Check out predictions for the next 10^10^10^76.66 years
December 28, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
This Meteor Shower Is So New It Doesn’t Even Have a Name
For the first time, debris from the comet Wirtanen may cross paths with the Earth
December 12, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Get Ready: A 2.8-Mile Wide Asteroid Is About to Swoop Past Earth
A huge asteroid will pass near Earth today, and you can watch it live online
December 11, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
