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From candles to ladders: how astronomers measure very large distances in the universe

How do we know the universe is expanding? Your high school trigonometry is involved in the process.

How hot is the sun?

I have it on very good authority that it's more than 20 degrees, for sure.

The history of spacesuits

If you want to explore outer space, you need quite a fair bit of fancy equipment: a good ship, life support, and of course, a reliable space suit. Spacesuits aren’t just a piece of clothing astronauts wear in space — instead, a spacesuit is more like a miniature spacecraft in itself. Spacesuits are festooned with […]

How does the Sky Crane work? Everything you need to know

The sky crane touchdown system was a huge wager for NASA that paid off.

14 Mars facts we've only learned in recent years

There's more to the Red Planet than you think.

The largest planetary ring system we've found would dominate the sky -- if it was in our solar system

When talking about planetary ring systems, Saturn and Jupiter likely spring to mind — they are our closest ringed neighbors, after all. But although impressive, their rings aren’t that large, in the grand scheme of things. Jupiter’s aren’t that large even when judging only by our Solar System. Neptune and Uranus also have rings, but […]

The real color of the moon -- and why it's probably not what you think

It's part boring, part interesting, and mostly geology.

What is Jupiter made of and does it have a solid core?

The Juno mission has revealed surprising new things about Jupiter’s structure and atmosphere.

What are stars made of?

The vast majority of stars are made almost entirely of hydrogen (about 90%) and helium (about 10%), with trace amounts of heavier elements.

Singularity Minded: The Black Hole Science that Won a Nobel Prize

Sir Roger Penrose has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics for his work revolutionising our theories regarding black holes and reshaping general relativity.

Why is Neptune so blue?

The key to Neptune's blue marble apperance lies in its methane-rich atmosphere.

So what is the Mars Sample Return mission exactly?

The Mars Sample Return mission is an effort to bring samples of Martian rocks and soil back to Earth, where they can be investigated in unprecedented detail.

Staring at the Sun: What is the lifecycle of a typical star

This is the story of our Sun; its past, present, and future.

A Journey through Multiverses, Hidden Dimensions, and Many Worlds

The alternate world, universe, or dimension is a long-standing element of pop-culture. But these concepts, often conflated, have their roots in physics. But which of them are most likely to play host to that most thrilling of tropes — the evil doppelganger?

The hottest planet in the solar system -- and why it's probably not what you think

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the hottest of them all?

Jovian planets -- the giants of solar systems

They're big

The types of stars -- a hot, bright journey through the universe

Stars come in many shapes and flavors.

What would happen to humans exposed to the vacuum of space without a spacesuit?

You won't explode or boil to death -- not before other more immediate threats kill you.

Playing Asteroids is No Game: Humanity's Future Could Depend on Diverting Asteroid Impacts

It isn't hyperbole to say, the survival of our species may depend on a sucessful method of preventing an asteroid impact.

A look back at Hubble's history in honor of its 30th anniversary

The story of the most prolific space telescope in history.

The Cosmological Constant: How Einstein's 'greatest blunder' became an expanding problem

The Universe is expanding, of that much cosmologists are sure. But the question of what rate at which that expansion is accelerating, and the value that describes it--the cosmological constant-- now that’s a real headache.

What is the largest star in the known universe?

“Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie

What are dwarf planets?

Not everyone is happy with their current definition.

When will the Sun run out of fuel?

The Sun has enough hydrogen fuel to last it another 5 billion years. However, life on Earth might become extinct as early as 1 billion years from now.

The Exoplanet Hunter's Toolkit: the science of searching for other worlds

The search of other worlds is a field of science on the cusp of a revolution. By unpacking the exoplanet hunters’ toolkit we can examine the techniques that are bringing closer than ever to understanding our place in the Universe.

Hunting for exoplanets: past and future

The last decade of space exploration has exceeded even our wildest expectations. And this is only the beginning.

There are over 700 quintillion planets in the universe -- but there's no place like home

The number of planets in the universe is extremely mind-boggling.

The different types of planets barreling through space

Yes, Pluto is here too.

A brief history of Martian spacecraft and landers

For the last 60 years, humans have been sending all sorts of spacecraft to the Red Planet -- here's a rundown.

Is the universe truly infinite?

Whether or not the universe is infinite is still highly debated.

What's the difference between an asteroid and a meteorite?

The meteorite only lives as it is falling.

How big is the universe?

Scientists don't really know if the universe is finite or infinite, but here is the best of our knowledge

What causes Blood Moons? The same thing that makes skies blue

Spooky!

How many galaxies are there?

Talk about a big count!

Dogs in space: the adventures of the U.S.S.R. canine cosmonauts

A big step for canine-kind.

What is Fermi's Paradox -- how life and space intertwine

An original view on Fermi's Paradox.

How far is the Moon? Visualizing the distance

It's not exactly accurate, but it's a dazzling display.

Why satellites have those golden foils on them -- and how it saves a lot of lives

Like many other NASA technologies, this also proved to be really useful on Earth.

Voyager-1 spacecraft: 40 years of history and interstellar flight

Despite traveling more than ten billion miles in four decades, Voyager-1 is still at it.

What are the moons of the solar system and how many are there

An overview of some of the most important natural satellites in our solar system. They're quite a few.

Rare photos of the Moon, as the Apollo astronauts witnessed it

Truly one of mankind's great successes.

Terraforming Mars: what it is and why we'd do something this crazy

Two planets are better than one. Here's everything you need to know about Mars terraformation.

Why is the solar system flat and not a sphere?

It's all about the conservation of angular momentum.

12 Physics-bending Facts about Black Holes

Chances are you won't come across anything weirder than a black hole. Here's the proof...

Copernicus: the treasure in the sky helping science and the climate with free and open data

Copernicus is one of the most valuable scientific programs in the world you likely never heard about.

Myth busted: Americans spent millions to make a pen that would flow in space -- the Russians used a pencil

It's a great story that reminds us complicated solutions can have very simple solutions. But the Russian pencil story is just a myth, though.

How to find constellations: a starter's guide

You'll never know what's written in the stars for you if you can't read them.

Why is Mars so red?

It's because of all that iron-rich dust, but it's not clear how it got there.

What rocks is the Moon made from?

What's the Moon made from, anyway?

How planetary rings form and what they're made of

Learn more about how they formed billions of year ago. 
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