Space ExplorationDecember 4, 2024
Who Is Jared Isaacman, President-Elect Trump’s Pick to Lead NASA?
NASA’s presumptive next leader, billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman, already has big plans for the space agency
Solar system
The UniverseNovember 29, 2024
Sunbeams and the Belt of Venus Are Delightful Twilight Sights
“Twilight rays” are but one of several viewing treats for the liminal time between day and night
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OpinionNovember 19, 2024
Bury Me on the Moon—Preferably on the Far Side
The far side of the moon offers grounds for compromise between advocates and opponents of lunar development
Planetary ScienceNovember 19, 2024
Famous Star Hasn’t Formed Planets, and We Don’t Know Why
The nearby star Vega, featured in the 1997 movie Contact, appears to have a smooth disk devoid of giant planets for reasons we can’t explain
The UniverseNovember 15, 2024
What’s the Roundest Object in the Universe?
Finding a perfect sphere is actually pretty difficult
The UniverseNovember 8, 2024
Happy New Year! (If You’re a Martian)
The Martian new year arrives with the Red Planet’s vernal equinox. Explaining why requires a deep dive into celestial mechanics and Earth’s calendrical history
Extraterrestrial LifeOctober 14, 2024
NASA’s Europa Clipper Spacecraft Aims for Jupiter’s Most Intriguing Moon
For the first time, we are sending a spacecraft to explore an alien ocean world—a moon that might host life today
The UniverseOctober 11, 2024
A ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ Nova Explosion Is Running Late
The famous exploding star T Coronae Borealis is due to detonate any day now, but it’s running a little late
Planetary ScienceOctober 3, 2024
Can Scientists Save the World from an Apocalyptic Asteroid Strike?
Sooner or later a doomsday asteroid will wipe out most life on Earth—unless, that is, we prevent threatening space rocks from hitting us in the first place
OpinionOctober 1, 2024
NASA Needs a ‘Lunar Marathon’ to Match China on the Moon
We are in a new and different kind of moon race, one the U.S. is losing. To win, says a former NASA official, we need new strategies
The UniverseSeptember 27, 2024
Will This Comet Be the Brightest of 2024?
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) could soon shine very bright in Earth’s skies
AstronomySeptember 25, 2024
Meet Earth’s New Mini Moon
A small asteroid, 2024 PT5, will spend the next two months alongside our planet as a mini moon before swooping back to deep space