SPACE

A Full Pink Moon Is Coming in April

A full pink moon isn't actually pink—but it's so important that it helps determine when Easter will occur each year.

New British Coin Featuring a Black Hole Honors Stephen Hawking

The late theoretical physicist is gone, but not forgotten. A 50-pence coin is the latest tribute to his life and legacy.

NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann at an event in August 2018

First Person on Mars Will Likely be a Woman, Says NASA Boss

The human-led mission isn't expected to happen until at least 2030, but when it does, a woman will likely be the first person to set foot on the Red Planet.

How to Catch the Northern Lights When They Appear Over the U.S. This Week

If you live in a northern state like Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Maine, you have a good chance of catching the Northern Lights on Wednesday, February 27.

A Super Worm Moon Is Coming on the First Day of Spring

The third and final supermoon of 2019—the super worm moon—will appear on the vernal equinox in March. Here's the best time to watch it.

15 Facts About Nicolaus Copernicus

He sat on his heliocentric theory of the universe for 30-some years, and only published his ideas on his deathbed.

11 Spectacular Facts About the Moon

It's our closest neighbor in the solar system, but we still have a lot to learn about the Moon—from how it formed to what's on its dark side.

Galileo Galilei in an oil painting by an Italian painter, 18th (?) century.

15 Fascinating Facts About Galileo

Galileo Galilei, the father of modern astronomy, probably never dropped anything off the leaning tower of Pisa, and he didn't actually invent the telescope. But he did change history with his discoveries about the cosmos.

A Snow Moon—the Year’s Brightest Supermoon—Will Be Visible Next Week

The next supermoon will light up skies on Tuesday, February 19. This one will be a snow moon, a full moon that comes only at this time of year.

11 Photos From the Opportunity Rover's Mission on Mars

In 2004, the rover Opportunity landed on Mars. Originally intended to serve a mere 90-day mission, the rover instead beamed back scientific discoveries for more than a decade—and now its groundbreaking mission is over.

Do Mission Control Personnel Go Through as Many Simulations as Astronauts?

Mission control personnel go through a lot more simulations than astronauts. And they don't always go according to plan …

How Many Light Years Away From the Sun Are We?

Astronomical distances are very specific, but estimating lights years without a calculator isn't impossible (even if there are dozens of zeros involved).