Space / Solar System

Out There: The Moon Is Full of Surprises

It is weirdly wet. It is inexplicably young. 
And its battered farside hints at a long-lost twin. 03.28.2012

Back to The Final Frontier

Neil deGrasse Tyson—the acclaimed astrophysicist, writer, and director of the Hayden Planetarium—lays out what it will take for America to remain the leading superpower in space.
 03.19.2012

Tools of the Trade: Curiosity, NASA’s Laser-Blasting Mars Robot

Curiosity will satisfy its curiosity by zapping rocks on the Red Planet and watching the resulting plasma. 03.16.2012

Where Earth Is Unearthly: Exotic Places That Resemble Alien Planets

From windswept deserts to the ocean near Key Largo, some parts of our planet are surprisingly similar to other worlds. 03.14.2012

#52: Superstorm Sweeps Across Saturn


It made even the biggest storms on Earth look puny. 12.27.2011

#37: Today’s Forecast: Cloudy, 
80 Percent Chance of a Sunspot

The next time the Sun releases a destructive magnetic belch, we may have some warning to protect the electric grid. 12.27.2011

#25: Mercury’s New Face

NASA's Messenger probe delivers impressive new views of the inner-most planet, which is in some respects harder to reach than distant Pluto. 12.27.2011

#23: The Moon Had a Long-Lost Twin


Computer simulations show the “big splat” from an ancient collision would have created “a pretty interesting spectacle for about 24 hours,” says researcher Erik Asphaug. 12.27.2011

#16: Astronomers Get First Look at Giant Asteroid

“Seeing the surface up close for the first time, in its true glory, is amazing,” says Dawn project lead scientist Christopher Russell. “We’re in awe.” 12.27.2011

One Giant Leap for Machine Kind

While human explorers remain stubbornly stuck in Earth orbit, robotic space probes are preparing for the next great age of exploration: drilling, rolling, sailing, and prospecting where nobody has gone before. 10.31.2011

NASA's Inspiring, Enlightening, and Successful Search for New Earths

The Kepler space telescope, NASA’s first mission 
dedicated to the 
search for planets 
beyond our 
solar system, has 
produced a 
gusher of strange 
new worlds. 
If astronomers are 
right, many of them will prove to be habitable.
 08.29.2011

The Night the Scientific Revolution Began

After turning his homemade telescope to the heavens, Galileo became the first person to see the moons of Jupiter, suggesting that not everything orbited Earth—and he jotted his world-changing notes on a piece of scrap paper. 07.28.2011

A Giant Iron Core, A Scalding Surface, and Strange Ice Caps

NASA’s Messenger spacecraft recently completed a seven-year journey and settled into orbit 
around Mercury. Over the next year Messenger will capture 75,000 images of the sun’s nearest neighbor and help scientists understand the planet’s many intriguing quirks. 07.24.2011

Far Out: The Most Psychedelic Images in Science

Scientists know you don't need psychedelic drugs to make mind-blowing psychedelic images: Fractals, particle collisions, computer simulations, and sunspots will do the job just fine. 01.27.2011

Fails at Fusion; Succeeds at Schooling

Scientists are looking closer at brown dwarfs to learn more about the formation of stars and planets. 01.09.2011

11 Space Missions That Will Make Headlines in 2011

This year, space exploration will bring news of expeditions to distant planets, the quest for life-friendly star systems, and the bold efforts of commercial space companies. Here's a preview of what to look forward to. 01.06.2011

The Alien Seekers of SETI Are Just Getting Started

For 50 years a devoted group of scientists has been listening for signals from intelligent life. Despite all the dead air, the true believers say the odds of success are now better than ever. 01.03.2011

The 100 Top Science Stories of 2010

Every year DISCOVER sorts through the scientific accomplishments of the past 12 months, and assembles a list of the coolest experiments, most brilliant discoveries, and most world-changing events. As you page through the countdown to the #1 science story, we think you'll come to the same conclusion we did: 2010 was quite a year. 12.16.2010

How to Settle, Once and for All, the Whole "What's a Planet?" Debate

Defining things is a natural impulse, but it often doesn't fit the natural world. 12.08.2010

Invisible Planetoids: The Search for Spock

Astronomers are ramping up their 400-year search for "vulcanoids"—planets, asteroids, or even rubble—in the solar system’s last remaining swath of empty real estate. 12.03.2010

Renewed Hope for Life on the Red Planet

Is anything stirring on the dusty surface of Mars? A few bold scientists say we need speculate no longer: We have already found strong evidence of life there. 11.23.2010

Saturn's Giant Storms, Hidden Rings, and Bizarre Moons

Observation of Saturn from near and far is revealing the complicated dynamics of the amazing phenomenon on this planet. 11.07.2010

The Freakiest Places in the Solar System

The stinkiest moon, the deepest canyon, the most shocking lightning storm: A guided tour to the solar system's most extraordinary spots. 10.26.2010

The Moon Is Always New Nowadays

It is wetter, weirder, and a lot more valuable than we knew. No wonder Earth’s nearest neighbor in space is suddenly attracting a ton of interest. 09.23.2010

5 Questions for the Woman Who Watches Weather—on Saturn's Moon Titan

Emily Schaller looks closely at the only body in the solar system with a weather cycle we can study. 09.22.2010

Space Junk: How to Clean Up the Space Age's Mess

Didn't anyone tell space agencies to pick up their toys when they're finished playing? Now scientists have to invent new ways to undo decades of dumping in orbit. 08.30.2010

Happy Birthday, Cassini—and Thanks for the Great Images

Since the Cassini space probe reached Saturn on July 1, 2004, it's visited many of Saturn’s moons, given scientists new insight into Saturn’s atmosphere and cloud patterns, and done a bang-up job as an astrophotographer. 06.30.2010

Field Notes: The Revolution of the Moons

When Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter, he gave evidence for what Copernicus had merely intuited: Not all heavenly bodies circle Earth. 04.26.2010

The Best of Science Culture This Month

Traveling time with Stephen Hawking, new ideas for finding aliens, having God-like power over nature, and more 04.09.2010

Happy Birthday, Hubble: The Telescope's Most Underrated Images

Of the vast library of amazing Hubble images, a few hog all the glory. So for the telescope's 20th anniversary, we bring you 10 pictures that deserve more love. 03.30.2010

The New View From Space

Astronauts add a new room with a glorious gazing window to the International Space Station. 02.17.2010

#16: The Moon: Cold, Wet, and Breathing

Bombing our closest neighbor pays off with a trove of information. 01.25.2010

#28: Probe Shows Mercury’s Hidden Face

Messenger shows how the surface was formed and how the surface forms the atmosphere. 01.25.2010

The Moon Makes a Splash

Thanks to new-and-improved imaging, the Earth's nearest neighbor is looking a lot more interesting. 01.04.2010

#56: Earth-like Storms Mysteriously Appear on Saturn’s Moon Titan

“For so long, it was cloud-free. Then, all of a sudden, they dramatically appeared.” 12.29.2009

#67: Where Do Enceladus' Mysterious Geysers Come From?

Ammonia spotted in the jets could act as antifreeze in under-ice oceans. 12.26.2009

#69: Science Sets Its Eyes on the Prize

Big money awaits innovators who can build rockets, sequence genomes, predict people's movie preferences, harvest energy from the tides, or explore the Moon. 12.25.2009

#73: Venus Has a Secret Earth-Like Past

A few billions of years ago, the planet may have had water, plate tectonics, and volcanism—and might have been a decent place to live. 12.23.2009

#84: Dear Liza, Now There's a Hole in Jupiter

A comet or asteroid had slams into Jupiter with the force of 2 billion tons of TNT, blowing a giant hole in the clouds over the gas giant. 12.20.2009

The Search for Aliens Gets Harder—But More Encouraging

Saturn's surprising moons have broadened scientists' ideas about where extraterrestrial life might be found. 11.16.2009

The NASA School of Art

For 50 years, artists have had up-close, insider access to the space program. Here are the results. 10.16.2009

Is Jupiter's Bizarre Moon Our Best Hope for Finding Extraterrestrial Life?

NASA is gambling $4 billion that there's life beneath the thin atmosphere, lethal radiation, and miles-thick ice on Europa. 08.28.2009

11 Great Astro Pics: Winners of the Celestron Photo Contest

Gazing up at the night sky is a reward unto itself: the splendor of the Universe awaits! But when you use a telescope and a camera, you can capture that beauty in ways that even our sophisticated eyes cannot detect. 08.12.2009

10 Great Views—and Memories—From the Moon

Forty years after the first moon landing, the 24 men who've been there open up about the details of their photos and experiences. 07.02.2009

The Best of Science Culture

Computing cells, humans as chefs, time twisting on the dark side of the moon, and more 06.14.2009

Staring at the Sun, Just as Galileo Did

Astronomers at the Mount Wilson Observatory sketch sunspots every day, continuing a tradition started by Galileo. 05.27.2009

Building the World's Wimpiest Space Thruster—Harder Than It Sounds

The ESA's new system is designed to counter the force of sunlight on a spacecraft—about the same as the force of gravity on a single human hair. 05.24.2009

Russia's Dark Horse Plan to Get to Mars

The Fobos-Grunt mission might pave the way for humanity's first permanent space base—on Phobos, Mars' bizarre moon. 05.21.2009

A Scientist's Guide to Finding Alien Life: Where, When, and in What Universe

A variety of new findings point to the "habitable zones" where we're likely to find extraterrestrials. 05.11.2009

The Frontiers of Astronomy

DISCOVER's panel of top astronomers and astrophysicists discuss some of the biggest questions in the universe. 05.10.2009

The Inspiring Boom in "Super-Earths"

At last we are finding rocky planets like our own. But some are pretty weird: The smallest may have a mineral-vapor atmosphere that condenses as lava rain or rock snow. 05.08.2009

Our Quest to Explore—and Photograph—the Solar System

Each stab outward into space gives us a chance to image some new part of our cosmic neighborhood, from Earth to water on Mars to the strange moons of Jupiter and Saturn. 04.21.2009

The Satellite That Aims to Succeed Where Icarus Failed

NASA's Solar Probe Plus study the sun from close up, braving temperatures that would melt stainless steel. 04.07.2009

Forget Megapixels: Here Comes the Gigapixel Sky Camera

The Pan-Starrs-1 telescope will scan the skies for asteroids and comets that could wipe out life on Earth. 04.03.2009

He Charted the Moon Before Galileo, But You've Probably Never Heard of Him

Did Thomas Harriot keep his great discovery a secret to avoid decapitation? 03.31.2009

Like the Milky Way (Candy Bar), the Milky Way (Galaxy) Contains Sugar

Star factories also produce sugars—and might seed planets with the ingredients for life. 02.22.2009

The Best New Science Books

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Area 51, modern life vs human nature, and more 02.20.2009

A Sneak Preview of the Mars Science Lab

The six-wheeled, plutonium-powered, car–sized vehicle aims to drill deeper and learn more. 01.26.2009

A Virtual Tour of 8 Strange Exoplanets

Astronomers have recently found hundreds of new planets. Here are what some of them might look like. 01.23.2009

The Man Who Made Stars and Planets

Alan Boss has spent a career predicting how stars and planets form—and has often been right. 01.12.2009

Beyond the Nine Planets

We are only beginning to discover how vast and strange our solar system truly is. 01.06.2009

How a Cloud of Space Dust Could Wipe Out Life on Earth

Seemingly innocuous specks could throw off the whole solar system—and we might not see them until it's too late. 12.30.2008

#6: Phoenix Lander Strikes Ice on Mars

Finally, positive confirmation of what we long thought and hoped for 12.21.2008

#22: Mercury Reveals Its Secrets

The planet comes into focus during NASA's first visit in 33 years. 12.18.2008

#60: Mars Became Lopsided After Massive Asteroid Collision

After 30 years, the debate over the red planet's shape may be over. 12.11.2008

#77: X-Rays Reveal Ship-Wreckage to Be 2,000-Year-Old Astronomy Computer

The Antikythera Mechanism tracked heavenly movements like clockwork. 12.09.2008

#95: Organic Matter Found in Saturn's Mystery Moon

Icy Jets from the planet's sixth-largest moon contain primitive components of life. 12.05.2008

#97: All-Powerful Astronomers Turn "Dwarf Planets" Into "Plutoids"

Faced with an outcry over ungainly titles, the IAU comes up with a better alternative. 12.04.2008

#99: Jupiter Grows (and Loses) a New Spot

The massive planet passed behind the sun and arrived with a brand new decoration. 12.04.2008

Ten Ways the World Will End

Will it be a solar flare? Or a gamma-ray burst? DISCOVER's own Phil Plait lays out the odds. 10.28.2008

Searching Heaven and Earth for the Real Johannes Kepler

Galileo may be science's most famous martyr, but it was Kepler who solved the mystery of the planets. 10.05.2008

Burned at the Stake for Believing in Science

The life and work—and unorthodox beliefs—of Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno. 09.08.2008

How to Teach Science to the Pope

The Vatican keeps close tabs on the latest science—and integrates new research into its modern theology. 08.18.2008

Astronomers Discover the First Ring Around a Moon

But how Rhea can hold onto its ring is still a mystery. 07.07.2008

The Land of the Rising Moon

The Japanese space agency takes a hard look at—and into—our planet's sidekick. 06.05.2008

Will the Phoenix Lander End Up a Hero-bot or a Pile of Trash?

Many landers have tried to touch down on the Red Planet. Few have succeeded. 05.22.2008

Mercury's Secrets Revealed

More than 1,000 new images of the planet reveal startling results. 04.08.2008

Mission to the Forgotten Planets

Before the Pluto fiasco, two asteroids were stripped of planet status. 03.11.2008

Inside the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

It starts with water and ends with intelligent aliens—hopefully. 12.25.2007

Copernicus the Surprise Genius

The man who proved heliocentrism never thought his ideas would amount to much. 12.11.2007

How To Be a NASA Mission Controller

Running the nerve center is nervy business. 11.29.2007

7 Things You Didn't Know About Moon Rocks

Cockroaches ate the rocks, proving their safety. 11.12.2007

How to Build a Mars Rover

Armed with only a few pages of Discover's Space Travel special issue, you can construct your own li'l planetary explorer. 10.03.2007

The Moon Passes Gas

Even a rock with no atmosphere needs to let it out sometimes. 09.24.2007

Pluto Gets Demoted. Again.

Newly discovered Eris is bigger and heavier than the spurned planet. 08.16.2007

The Sun Flies Like a Bullet

The Milky Way's magnetic field constantly buffets our little star. 08.07.2007

20 Things You Didn't Know About... Galileo

Einstein's favorite scientist died an ardent Catholic. 07.02.2007

Sun's Shifts May Cause Global Warming

Physicist says carbon dioxide's no big deal 06.25.2007

The Make-Believe Mars

Earthlings go to Mars-esque locales to prepare for the real thing. 06.21.2007

Perfect Symmetry in Space

Star "belches" are way prettier than they sound. 06.21.2007

Seeing Sun Storms in Stereo

Space weather is finally available in 3-D. 05.10.2007

Mirror World

Saturn's moon Titan is an icy, fun-house version of Earth. 05.01.2007

Can We Survive on the Moon?

Life on the moon will depend on how we use the moon's gritty dust. 03.21.2007

A Death in the Solar System

Say good-bye to the old nine planets. Say hello to a whole new celestial family. 11.27.2006

Map: Space Junk

Garbage zipping through space could shatter a spececraft or crash into Earth. 11.16.2006

Sky Lights: The Dark Side of the Universe

Some of the most fascinating places out there are facing the wrong way. 08.01.2006

Life's a Beach on Saturn's Moon

Saturn's biggest moon has giant sand-dune deserts. 08.01.2006

Million-Ring Circus

Swooping past Saturn's beautiful rings, the Cassini spacecraft starts to crack the code of the most complex structure in the solar system. 07.27.2006

Whatever Happened To... Moon Rocks?

Tracking down our old lunar souvenirs 07.01.2006

The Dark Side of the Sun

Scientists spot solar storms before they spin this way. 06.25.2006

Sky Lights: Jupiter Rules

The solar system's grandest world is also one of the most enigmatic 06.25.2006

NASA Turns Away From The Final Frontier

Budget cuts rein in explorers. 06.01.2006

The Planet Finder

How many planets are there? Ask a person on the street and you're likely to hear the consistent response, Nine...or maybe ten.....or is it eight? Things don't stay the same, especially when it comes to astronomy. Not only are the tools changing, but so is our conception of our solar system. It wasn't that long ago when pretty much everyone was agreement that Pluto was the ninth and most distant planet. These days, however, Pluto's status as a true planet is in question. Add to that several additional Pluto-sized objects that can be found where no planets should exist and you can see the challenge to the nine planet system. 04.20.2006

Saturn's Watery Moon

A geyser spews as much gas and water as Old Faithful. 03.24.2006

Pluto Explored

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft sets off to explore distant Pluto, the tiny world that challenges everything we know about the solar system. 03.07.2006

Sky Lights

Equinoxes mark changes of seasons throughout the solar system 03.02.2006

X [marks the spot]

The Anatomy of a Sunspot 02.20.2006

Journey to the Outer Limits

It's out there—way out there. To some, Pluto represents the most distant world of the nine familiar planets. To others, it marks the beginning of the Kuiper belt, a region of space that seems to be populated by its own assortment of planetary bodies. NASA hopes that its New Horizons mission will successfully travel the 3.3-billion-mile journey and rendezvous with Pluto in 2015. 02.07.2006

Sky Lights

01.17.2006

The Year in Science: Space Exploration

NASA's latest manned rocket, Saturn's moons, comet smashing, and more. 01.08.2006

Time Machine

Will a clock that works flawlessly for 10,000 years become the greatest wonder of the world? 11.26.2005

Sky Lights

When it comes to astronomy, don't believe everything you see on the Web 11.22.2005

Space Travel

Nature's tricks could teach us a lot about other planets. 10.24.2005

Geophysics

Is what's inside Earth simply the other half of our only satellite? 10.24.2005

Planets

The gravitational tug of a giant like Jupiter could lead us to Earth II 10.24.2005

New Moon

08.06.2005

Eyeing the Impact

07.19.2005

Think Tank

Top scientists pinpoint the greatest discoveries of the last 25 years and predict wonders yet to come 06.13.2005

Sky Lights

The orbit of Earth's enigmatic satellite tilts, wobbles, and rolls like an egg 06.05.2005

News From Earth's Wayward Twin

Our first look at a fantastic yet familiar world, where mountains are made of ice, volcanoes spew ammonia, and the sky rains methane 04.28.2005

Mad About the Moon

03.31.2005

X

02.06.2005

4: Hello, Saturn

01.02.2005

Sky Lights

Here's the inside scoop on the must-see celestial spectaculars of 2005 01.02.2005

Beyond Pluto

We are only beginning to discover how vast and strange our solar system truly is 11.25.2004

Saturn Spectacular

Cassini's first photos from the ringed planet promise enough awe and wonder to last a lifetime 08.02.2004

Sky Lights

This month Earth's closest neighbor makes a rare trek across the solar disk 06.27.2004

Jupiter Flambé

05.29.2004

Sky Lights

Venus—so strange, yet so like our home planet—takes its turn in the spotlight 04.21.2004

Mission to Mercury

If landing on Mars looks tricky, imagine what NASA faces trying to slingshot Messenger to the planet closest to the sun 04.21.2004

The Ring Cycle

03.28.2004

Sky Lights

Numbers expose the hidden synchronicity—and disorder—of the solar system 03.28.2004

Sky Lights

Saturn howls, the sun rings, and a black hole lets loose with a basso profundo 02.05.2004

Astronomy

01.02.2004

Sky Lights

What a wonderful year 2004 will be for space and astronomy aficionados 01.02.2004

Sky Lights

We live in an irregular, mismatched universe. Take our moon, for example 12.03.2003

Burnout

New images from Hubble preview the death of our sun: swift, colorful, and surprisingly tempestuous 11.09.2003

Sun Burst

10.31.2003

Sky Lights

Scientists search for the sober truth behind some loony ideas 09.01.2003

Space Sedative

09.01.2003

Close-up on Jupiter

06.01.2003

Sky Lights

There is more than meets the eye to this month's lunar vanishing act 05.01.2003

Sky Lights

Jupiter's bright light calls attention to an oft-overlooked stellar treasure 04.01.2003

Where Did The Moon Come From?

Astronomers close in on one of the greatest mysteries of the cosmos 02.01.2003

Solar Spaghetti

02.01.2003

Sky Lights

Everything you need to know about the sky in 2003 01.01.2003

Sky Lights

Stunning Saturn puts on its best appearance since Gerald Ford was president 12.01.2002

Circles of Life

How far out of whack can the orbit of a planet like Earth get before we all die? 11.01.2002

Nuclear Planet

Is there a five-mile-wide ball of hellaciously hot uranium seething at the center of the Earth? 08.01.2002

Titan's Time Warp

Is Saturn's huge moon just like Earth 4 billion years ago? Scientists navigating the Cassini spacecraft for a rendezvous with smoggy Titan are betting on it 06.01.2002

Sky Lights

Will gravity get us as the planets line up this month? 05.01.2002

Astronomy

Year In Science 01.13.2002

Sky Lights

Colors reveal what's brewing on other planets 12.01.2001

A Song for Europa

10.01.2001

Stardust

The Earth grows fatter every day, snowed under by a continuous microscopic flurry of space specks. Now scientists think space dust may hold the clues to which stars parented our solar system 09.01.2001

Philip Bland, Meteor Man

An energetic young scientist believes he may have found the clue that solves the mystery of how the Earth was made 03.01.2001

Ice Cubes in Hell

02.01.2001

Sky Lights

A preview of the coming year in astronomy, ready to clip to the fridge 01.01.2001

Sky Lights

Even in the firmament, the only thing constant is change 12.01.2000

Sky Lights

09.01.2000

Ring of Fire

09.01.2000

Neptune Rising

Once a fuzzy nobody, Neptune comes of age as a key player in the arrangement of the solar system. Besides, who can ignore a planet where it rains diamonds? 09.01.2000

Sky Lights

08.01.2000

07.01.2000

Seeing The Light

In an increasingly satellite-dependent world, understanding the power of the aurora borealis has become critical 07.01.2000

Sky Lights

Doomsayers are howling through their teeth about the alignment of planets on May 5 05.01.2000

Sky Lights

This month's 29th day halts the disorienting creep of the seasons 02.01.2000

Sky Lights

And ten other predictions of celestial wonders that won't disappoint in the new millennium 01.01.2000

Millennium Dance

The sun, moon, and Earth create Y2K, cosmic style 12.01.1999

Mother of All meteors

If the heavens line up just right, this month we'll be treated to the greatest show off Earth 11.01.1999

Titan's Secret Seas

11.01.1999

Planetary Superstars

Time to dust off those forgotten telescopes: There's finally a real spectacle up there 10.01.1999

Look Up--Again!

More than fireworks will light July's skies for nights to come 07.01.1999

Far Beyond Saturn

The remarkable journey of Voyager 2, the only probe to see the outer reaches of our solar system 07.01.1999

Sky Lights

Check out dusk's dazzling display of the evening star 06.01.1999

Venus on View

Check out dusk's dazzling display of the evening star 06.01.1999

Death Flares

04.01.1999

Twilight Zone

Grab this once-a-year chance to picture the disk we spin on 03.01.1999

Lilliput in Space

NASA learns to think big by building small 03.01.1999

Postcards From the Edge

A half-billion miles from Earth, the feisty spacecraft Galileo astonishes us with flybys of Jupiter's bizarre moons 03.01.1999

Io's Glow

02.01.1999

Your Stars for 1999

A total eclipse and sizzling meteors highlight this year's sky watching. 01.01.1999

Water on the Moon

12.01.1998

The Final Fronton

11.01.1998

Tale of Two Planets

Nearly two decades in coming, Jupiter and Saturn are neighbors again. 09.01.1998

Solar Portrait

09.01.1998

Sky Show

This holiday, take some time to enjoy what the heavens have to offer. 07.01.1998

The G-R Spot

07.01.1998

Night Watchman: Black on Black

In June's drab skies, Pluto providesa test of sky-watching expertise. 06.01.1998

Night Watchman: Cosmic Clutter

We've put thousands of objects intoorbit. Many are visible—but only now. 05.01.1998

Night Watchman: Close Encounters

Witness the striking meeting ofthree planets and a sliver of moon. 04.01.1998

A Brief Tour of a Bad Cosmic Neighborhood

We may be headed into a giant interstellar cloud that could mess up the solar system for decades. 04.01.1998

Night Watchman: Close Encounters

Witness the striking meeting ofthree planets and a sliver of moon. 03.01.1998

Space Watch: Hot Times on Titan

Saturn's largest moon is one of the coldest, most inhospitable worlds in the solar system. But 6 billion years from now, Titan will be dramatically different. 03.01.1998

Night Watchman: March Hare

Much is revealed by the pace and path of the sun and other sky denizens. 03.01.1998

Night Watchman: Love, Celestial Style

If you're smitten, even a cold winternight holds the promise of love 02.01.1998

The Year in Science: Astronomy 1997

How Dry the Moon? 01.01.1998

The Year in Science: Space 1997

A Flower-Petal Path Among the Moons 01.01.1998

The Year in Science: Space 1997

Saturn, 2004 01.01.1998

The Year in Science: Space 1997

The Pioneer 10 space probe survives far longer than expected, but doesn't find the edge of the solar system. 01.01.1998

Planet Swarm

12.01.1997

Recipe for a Moon

11.01.1997

String of Pearls

11.01.1997

Ball Game

10.01.1997

Impossible Planets

How do you get one jupiter-size planet into a tight orbit? Start with two, spiraling in toward their sun. Then a close gravitational encounter flings one outward, the other inward. Yeah, that's a good theory, don't you think? 09.01.1997

Nightly Rounds

07.01.1997

Water World

Beneath the six-mile-thick shell of ice that encases the moon Europa may lie a vast liquid ocean. And in its dark, alient depths, we may--if we look--find something swimming alive. 05.01.1997

Hot Times on Io

04.01.1997

The Snow on Pluto

01.01.1997

Staring at the Sun

01.01.1997

Jupiter, Not Bust

01.01.1997

Bird's-Eye Aurora

01.01.1997

Darkest Day

12.01.1996

Jupiter in a Jar

11.01.1996

Earthly Shadows

09.01.1996

Ups and Downs

05.01.1996

Your Stars in 1996

01.01.1996

End of the Road

01.01.1996

The Volcano Did It

01.01.1996

Mercurial Neptune

01.01.1996

Oasis on the Sun

01.01.1996

The Thermos Planet

01.01.1996

The Red Giant

12.01.1995

Where Comets Come From

They're the mystery tramps of the solar system, streaking crazily through a warm space they don't belong in. Now astronomers have tracked them to their frozen trans-Neptunian home. 11.01.1995

Disappearing Rings

09.01.1995

Moon Showers

08.01.1995

Space Weather

Storms and hurricanes don't leave off where the atmosphere ends. 08.01.1995

The Final Eclipses

04.01.1995

Groundhog Sky

02.01.1995

Into the Fire

12.01.1994

Gravity's Rim

Between the gravitational basin of one celestial body and another lies a fuzzy, chaotic boundary. Now one mathematician has found a way to ride the edge of chaos to the moon. 09.01.1994

Mooning Over NASA's Future

To get off the ground again, the space agency may have to turn its sights back to the glory days, when swift, small spacecraft first brought outer space into our living rooms--and our hearts. 07.01.1994

Mercury's Rising

06.01.1994

Opposite the Sun

04.01.1994

Secrets of the Rings

Twisted, knotted, polka-dotted; here today, gone-cosmologically speaking--tomorrow. The finely sculpted adornments of the giant planets are a mystery we're just beginning to solve. 04.01.1994

Venus Exposed

Computer wizardry has turned raw data into stunning pictures of our sister planet. But do they show the real thing? 12.01.1993

Rapid Transit

11.01.1993

The Last Quarter

10.01.1993

Planet X Is Dead

09.01.1993

Engaging Rings

07.01.1993

A Bubble Is Born

We live in a bubble. It’s about 600 light-years wide. And the exploding star that created it may have been as bright as the full moon. 06.01.1993

Out of the Blue

06.01.1993

By Jove

05.01.1993

The Last World

Way out at the far edge of the solar system sits odd, mysterious unexplored pluto. After 5 billion years the tiny planet is overdue for some visitors. 05.01.1993

Bad Moon Rising

03.01.1993

Harvest Moon

09.01.1992

Mars, in Earth's Image

Scientists have a wildly ambitious plan to transform the fourth planet from the sun into an exact duplicate of the third. 09.01.1992

Fire in the Sky

Supercomputers and new observational technology are helping astronomers unlock the sun's most stubborn secrets. 08.01.1992

Lost World

07.01.1992

Making Auroras

04.01.1992

Cosmic Choreography

03.01.1992

Dust Demon

Physicist David Peak has big plans for small dust balls. 03.01.1992