Outer Space

An artist's rendition of the Pysche asteroid. Data suggests that Psyche is between 30 and 60 percent metal, unlike any object in the solar system scientist's have observed up close before.

NASA Launches Mission to Study Distant Asteroid

The metal-rich object could hold clues about how our planet formed

An annular solar eclipse, captured by the solar optical telescope Hinode as the moon passed between it and the sun.

How to Watch the Annular 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse on Saturday

A partial eclipse will be visible from all of the continental U.S., but only those in Oregon and the Southwest will have a chance to see the glowing ring

Shooting stars travel across the sky during the Draconid meteor shower.

How to Watch the Draconid Meteor Shower This Weekend

Though it’s usually a smaller display, the Draconids have historically produced breathtaking outbursts of shooting stars known as "meteor storms"

In 1997, an uncrewed ship collided with Russia's Mir Space Station, causing damage to Mir's solar array panel. As the number of human-made objects in space grows, the risk of collisions in Earth orbit increases.

In a First, the FCC Fines a Satellite Company for Abandoning Space Debris

The television provider DISH failed to remove a retired satellite far enough from its previous orbit, according to a statement from the commission

The James Webb Space Telescope captured this long-wavelength color composite image of the Orion Nebula using its Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument.

Mysterious Planet-Like Objects in the Orion Nebula Are Baffling Astronomers

The James Webb Space Telescope has observed dozens of Jupiter-mass, often paired objects, nicknamed JuMBOs, raising questions about how they formed

Alma Thomas, Autumn Leaves Fluttering in the Breeze, 1973, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 50 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of the artist, 1980.36.9

Alma Thomas' Signature Style Is Full of Color and Tiled Brushstrokes

After a career as a schoolteacher, the Washington, D.C.-based painter flourished, creating vibrant patterns inspired by nature, the cosmos and music

The capsule holding the asteroid sample shortly after touching down in the desert on September 24 at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range.

A Sample of Ancient Asteroid Dust Has Landed Safely on Earth

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission retrieved bits of rock and dust from the asteroid Bennu, which could help scientists uncover the origins of life on our planet

An artist's concept of a simulated view from the rough, icy surface of the moon Europa with Jupiter looming over the horizon.

Jupiter's Moon Europa May Contain Carbon, a Crucial Ingredient for Life

The James Webb Space Telescope found carbon dioxide on Europa's surface, and astronomers say it likely originated in the moon's vast ocean

The James Webb Space Telescope will help scientists look for signs on life on other planets.

What Would Signal Life on Another Planet?

Astronomers have long debated what kind of chemistry might serve as a bona fide alien biosignature

This 20-inch X-wing miniature was used in the original Star Wars film's final battle.

X-Wing Model From Original 'Star Wars' Movie Found in a Garage

The 20-inch miniature is going to auction, where bidding starts at $200,000

Many reports of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) are later discovered to be some type of balloon.

NASA Report Finds No Evidence of Extraterrestrial Origin for UFO Sightings

However, no explanation can be ruled out, per the agency, which also appointed its first director of research into the subject

A potential polar ring galaxy called NGC 4632. The composite image combines a capture of the galaxy's main disk, taken with the Subaru Telescope, with radio wave data of the hydrogen ring, which has been digitally colorized as white.

'Spectacular' Polar Ring Galaxies May Be More Common Than Thought, Study Suggests

Astronomers have found two candidates for this rare type of galaxy, surrounded by a halo of hydrogen gas—and they could provide insights about dark matter

Frank Rubio poses in front of a window on the International Space Station looking out to Earth below. Rubio has been stationed on the ISS since September of last year.

NASA Astronaut Sets Record for Longest Trip to Space by an American

When Frank Rubio returns from the International Space Station on September 27, he will have spent 371 consecutive days in space

An artist's rendition of exoplanet K2-18 b and the dwarf star it orbits. New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope support the idea that the world, discovered in 2015, has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and water ocean.

This Exoplanet May Be a Distant Ocean World, James Webb Telescope Finds

The observatory detected evidence of methane and carbon dioxide—and tentatively observed a molecule that, on Earth, is only made by living things

Dimorphos, a moonlet orbiting the asteroid Didymos, as seen by NASA's DART spacecraft 11 seconds before impact from 42 miles away.

The Asteroid Hit by NASA Seems to Be Moving Strangely, High School Students Find

After the DART spacecraft made contact with Dimorphos last year, the space rock's orbit is declining more than expected, according to preliminary research

Comet Nishimura, as imaged on September 7. On Tuesday, the comet will pass within 78 million miles of Earth, the closest it will get for more than 400 years.

Newly Discovered Green Comet Is Passing By Earth This Week

Comet Nishimura, which appears only once every 435 years, is on track to approach the sun and shoot into deep space

An artist's rendering of the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission. The satellite will measure X-rays to deepen science's understanding of the universe. 

Japan Launches X-Ray Satellite and Lunar Lander to Space

The satellite will study large bodies in the cosmos, while the lander will attempt to land at a precise location on the moon's surface

Onlookers watch as a rocket carrying the Aditya-L1 spacecraft launches. The mission will study the sun's outer layers and the influence of solar activity on the solar system.

India Launches Mission to Study the Sun and Space Weather

The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will examine the star's outer layers and aim to shed light on its violent—and potentially damaging—storms

Gemini South on the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile (left) and Gemini North on the summit of Maunakea in Hawai’i (right).

Hackers Target Telescopes, Forcing Them to Pause Operations

Two major telescopes in Hawaii and Chile and a handful of smaller observatories have been offline for weeks following an apparent cyberattack

Outside of Earth, is there any place a human could survive unprotected for even ten seconds?  

Could Humans Survive Unprotected Outside of Earth's Atmosphere for Even Ten Seconds?

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

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