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Stunning Photo of Spiral Galaxy Messier 77 Shows Its Beauty and Power

It's one of the many dazzling celestial objects catalogued by astronomer Charles Messier, who called them "time-wasting objects to avoid."

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Foreign Relations: 12 Notorious, Alleged UFO Incidents

In honor of World UFO Day (on July 2), here are 12 accounts of flying objects that remain fascinating for believers and skeptics alike.

NASA // Public Domain

A Brief History of the International Geophysical Year

The "year" lasted 18 months.

NASA

7 Astounding Facts About Jupiter

Did you know a Jovian year is 4333 Earth days long?

Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

How Eclipse Chasers Are Putting a Small Kentucky Town on the Map

The most anticipated eclipse in American history is coming this summer. At the heart of it is Hopkinsville, Kentucky, which anticipates 100,000 visitors. Mental Floss takes a look behind the small town's preparations—and a deep dive into the passionate su

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How Deadly Would Extraterrestrial Bacteria Be to Humans?

Because you never know when E.T. might drop by.

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Astronauts Are Getting a Space Bakery

Bread is banned on the ISS, but a German company aims to change that by bringing fresh rolls to microgravity.

Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images

4 Amazing Archaeological Discoveries Spotted by Satellite

The view from above—sometimes way above—has revealed lost cities, forgotten pyramids, and ancient trading routes.

NASA/JPL

Look Up Tonight! Saturn Is Big and Bright, With Rings Tilted Our Way

It's as close to the Earth as it's going to get this year.

NASA

NASA Rocket Launch Will Create Blue-Green and Red Clouds on Sunday

As long as the weather holds—the launch has been postponed four times already.

NASA/JPL/Caltech

This Planet Burns Hotter Than Most Stars

The dayside of the wildly whirling exoplanet reaches a boiling 7800°F.

iStock

How Does the International Space Station Maintain Its Orientation?

The answer involves torque.

NASA Photo ID S65-30427 // Public Domain

On This Day in 1965, the First American Walked in Space

Ed White loved it. He had to be ordered repeatedly to come back inside the spacecraft.

An illustration showing the merger of two black holes and the gravitational waves that ripple outward as the black holes spiral toward each other.

5 Things We Know About Gravitational Waves—And 2 That Are a Mystery

Astronomers once again detected ripples in the fabric of space-time.

NASA

NASA Details Plans to Fly to the Sun in 2018

The Parker Solar Probe will take us closer to the Sun than we've ever been before.

NASA/CXC/SAO/S.Wolk et al; Optical: DSS & NOAO/AURA/NSF; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astronomers Propose New Donut-Shaped Celestial Object

They say the synestia is a large mass of blistering-hot vaporized rock created when planets collide.

This enhanced-color composite photo shows Jupiter’s south pole from NASA’s Juno spacecraft 32,000 miles above the gas giant. The oval features are cyclones up to 600 miles wide.

Much of What We Thought About Jupiter Is Wrong

The Juno spacecraft is already forcing us to rewrite the textbooks.

NASA

How Human War Affected the Weather in Space

A new study finds that nuclear weapon tests damaged satellites and disturbed our planet’s magnetic field.

NASA

Ice in the Air Makes Earth Sparkle From Space

Microscopic ice particles seem to flash like glitter over the planet’s surface.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Scientists Convert Trappist-1 Planetary System Into Celestial Synth Music

“I think Trappist is the most musical system we’ll ever discover.”

NASA // Public Domain

The Meteoric Rise—and Tragic Fall—of NASA's Skylab

In 1973, NASA launched Skylab, the first American space station. It fell to earth six years later, burning up in the atmosphere on July 11, 1979.

U.S. Space Camp

Inside the Space Camp Designed for Blind and Visually Impaired Kids

In the 27 years of SCIVIS, more than 3800 students from almost every state and more than 20 countries have attended.

Getty Images / NASA / Handout

Watch: Why is Voyager 1 Getting Closer to Earth Right Now?

It's all relative.

NASA/Getty Images

The Men Who Claimed to Own Outer Space

Think the moon, the planets, and the stars are community property? Not according to these landlords.