Space

Is Interstellar Travel Really Possible?

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Listen folks, I love a good sci-fi movie as much as anyone. Cruising around the galaxy, finding weird stuff, and blowing up aliens--it’s all good. But just because a writer can come up with something, it doesn’t make it possible. I’m sorry to say that we’re going to be bound to our solar system for a really, really long time. As in, probably forever.

Where should we go? The Moon or Mars?

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There’s been a lot of excitement around space exploration recently. Astrophysicist Paul M. Sutter discusses the viability between the Moon and Mars.

How Did the Solar System Form?

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How did our solar system form? It's a pretty simple and straightforward question, but as with most things in science, simple and straightforward doesn't necessarily mean easy.

Do Giant Water Worlds Host Alien Life?

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We all wish we could find an Earth 2.0 – a planet about the size of our own, made of roughly the same chemical mixture, orbiting a sun-like star at just the right distance so that all its water doesn’t evaporate or freeze.

Anatomy Lesson: The Milky Way

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The Milky Way is a giant, sprawling, beautiful spiral galaxy. It's also your home. Let's take a little tour.

4 Reasons Why Earth is the Best Planet to Call Home

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Since 1970, folks from around the world have gathered together to celebrate Earth Day, an appreciation for all the good stuff we’ve got here on the Earth – and a reminder to try not to mess it up. But what’s so special about the Earth, anyway?

What are the Chances of Life Appearing On…Earth?

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Just how lucky are we on Earth? What were the chances that life would arise, let alone lead to intelligence?

Take a Trip Through the Oort Cloud, It’s Fun

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The most distant spacecraft launched by humans, Voyager 1, is currently 155 times farther away from the Sun than the Earth is. That’s almost four times more distant than Pluto, and the Voyager 1 craft has been traveling at over 38,000 mph for over four decades.

The Milky Way Broke its Arm (But is Totally Okay)

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The Milky Way is a giant, magnificent, truly transcendently beautiful spiral arm galaxy. It’s too bad we can’t get a decent picture of it. The problem is that we live inside it, and so astronomers have to work extra-hard to construct an accurate map.

Check out the Earth’s 800,000 Year Old Battle Wound

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Scientists may have discovered the location of an ancient buried crater, a result of a meteorite that barreled into the Earth some 800,000 years ago.

What Do Pulsar Waves Tell Us About the Universe?

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Using a network of dead stars, astronomers get closer to seeing the background ripples of the universe.

The Nobel Prize Fell Into a Black Hole (and That’s a Good Thing)

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The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics is being awarded to scientists to have dedicated their careers to the study of black holes.

The Secret of Pluto’s Ocean

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When we think of an ocean, we don't necessarily think of Pluto. If we can’t see the liquid water, why do astronomers think it’s there?

July in the Sky: Celestial Events Happening This Month

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With eclipses, meteor showers, and more, it's a busy month in the night sky this July. Take some time this summer to look up and enjoy these cosmic wonders.

Welcome to the Surface of Mars

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Through the use of cutting-edge instruments, scientists finally have the opportunity to probe deep beneath the surface and ascertain exactly how the terrestrial planet formed.

Last Call for the King of Planets

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This month Jupiter is entering conjunction which means it's the last chance this year to catch a glimpse of the largest planet in our solar system.

When We’ll Know if NASA’s Asteroid Impact Test was a Success

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Recently NASA’s DART mission succeeded in its primary goal, which was to slam a spacecraft face-first into an asteroid. For science. The intention of the mission was to test if we could actually redirect an asteroid and send it into a different orbit. But how and when will we know if it worked?

Stuck at Home? What to See in the Night Sky this Month

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In times of darkness and incertainty, opt for exploration of wonder in the skies.