Space / Solar System

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

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



If you live outside of the US & Canada,Click Here