Scientists Race to Map Dangerous Ultrasmall Space Junk
An ambitious U.S. government program is working to detect and track millions of tiny space junk pieces—down to the size of a sand grain—throughout low-Earth orbit and beyond
This Is the Most Exciting Rock Ever Found on Mars
Mysterious “leopard spots” on a Martian rock could be evidence of extraterrestrial life—or of mere lifeless chemistry. Finding out the truth may require bringing the rock back to Earth
How to See Stars, Satellites, and More in the Daytime Sky
It’s possible to see celestial objects during the day, but it’s not always easy
NASA May Spend $800 Million to Not Send This Revolutionary Rover to the Moon
The VIPER lunar rover promised a revolution in our understanding of the moon’s precious deposits of ice. Then NASA cancelled the mission
China’s Fresh Samples from the Lunar Far Side Could Explain Earth’s Two-Faced Moon
Material from the moon’s far side collected by China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft could solve a long-standing lunar mystery
How Did Jupiter Get Its Great Red Spot?
New research suggests the Great Red Spot we see on Jupiter today is an entirely different giant storm from the one astronomers observed more than three centuries ago
This Equation Shows That the Universe Will Run out of Stars
The cosmos is dark. The Lilly-Madau diagram reveals that it will become much darker still
The Face on Mars and Other Cases of Cosmic Pareidolia
The human brain loves seeing patterns, even when they aren’t really there
Mars Rocks Will Change How We See Life on Earth
Despite an eye-watering price tag, bringing pieces of Mars back to Earth promises to revolutionize our understanding of life’s place in the early solar system
China Makes History with First-Ever Samples from the Moon’s Far Side
China’s Chang’e 6 mission has successfully returned samples from the moon’s far side, opening a new phase of the nation’s lunar space race with the U.S.
The Science of Heliophysics Demands Its Moment in the Sun
NASA’s head of heliophysics explains how we weathered the worst solar storm of a generation—and discusses the challenges we face in preparing for the next one
Superstorm-Spawning Sunspot Cluster Is Facing Earth Again. What’s Next?
The massive sunspot region that gave Earthlings stunning auroral displays earlier in May is back from its trip around the far side of the sun