Space

In the annals of Earth’s history, scientific curiosity leads us to consider the unconventional. One particularly fascinating hypothesis explores the possibility that our planet once had its own ring, similar to those of its gaseous neighbors like Saturn. This notion, while astonishing, is supported by evidence from the geological record, especially the significant rise in

The recent SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission stands as a milestone in human space exploration, marking an unprecedented moment when a cadre of non-government astronauts embarked on a spacewalk. This endeavor culminated early Sunday with the successful splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft off the bustling coast of Florida. A venture not only laden with technological marvels

Mars, often referred to as the Red Planet, holds many secrets beneath its ochre-colored surface. Among the most intriguing spectacles are formations reminiscent of spiders, which grace satellite imagery of the Martian landscape. Dubbed “araneiforms,” these dark, tendrilled structures are not biological organisms but rather fascinating geologic features shaped by unique climatic conditions. They manifest

Sarah Gillis, a 30-year-old SpaceX engineer, is set to make history by embarking on a spacewalk alongside pilot and “daredevil billionaire” Jared Isaacman. The duo will be the first civilians to venture into space donning experimental new space suits, while their crew members Scott Poteet and Anna Menon remain in the capsule, protected by similar

Embarking on a groundbreaking orbital journey, a private crew launched into space on Tuesday for an audacious expedition that will take them deeper into the cosmos than any humans have ventured in the past 50 years. Led by Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman, the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission marks a significant milestone as they prepare

Exoplanets have fascinated scientists and astronomers for decades. With the discovery of over 5,200 exoplanets since the 1990s, our understanding of these alien worlds has grown exponentially. These planets, which exist outside of our Solar System, come in a variety of sizes and compositions, from gas giants like Jupiter to rocky Earth-like planets. The search

Boeing’s Starliner space capsule recently made headlines for returning to Earth without its two-person crew on board, marking the conclusion of a troubled test flight to the International Space Station. The mission faced thruster failures that led NASA to deem the capsule unsafe for crewed piloting back to Earth, leaving astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita

Solar sails are a revolutionary propulsion technique that utilizes sunlight to generate thrust for spacecraft. By harnessing the momentum from photons of light hitting the sail’s surface, the spacecraft can be propelled efficiently through space. Though the thrust generated may be small, when applied consistently over time, it can provide an effective means of propelling

In a surprising turn of events, an asteroid was detected just hours before it made its way into Earth’s atmosphere over the Philippines. The small asteroid, named 2024 RW1, was only about one meter in diameter and was swiftly detected by NASA’s Catalina Sky Survey. Despite reports of it “striking the Earth,” it actually burned

September is an exciting month for astronomy enthusiasts as it offers a plethora of fascinating lunar occultation events happening worldwide. This celestial phenomenon occurs when the Moon passes in front of and blocks out various celestial objects such as stars, planets, and star clusters. The Moon’s journey across the night sky presents unique opportunities to

China’s Tianwen-1 mission, launched in July 2020, has been a significant step in the country’s space exploration efforts. Consisting of an orbiter, a lander, two deployable cameras, a remote camera, and the Zhurong rover, the mission aims to investigate Mars’s geology, internal structure, atmosphere, and potential water sources. Like many other missions exploring Mars, Tianwen-1

Peer into the vast expanse of the Milky Way, and you will see more than just a collection of stars – you will witness the remnants of a tumultuous history. The scars left behind by cataclysmic events are intermingled with the slow, gradual changes that occur over time, making it challenging for researchers to differentiate

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a dwarf galaxy located just outside the Milky Way Galaxy, is a significant area of interest for scientists. With a diameter of about 18,900 light-years and approximately 3 billion stars, the SMC, along with its counterpart the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), orbits the Milky Way as satellite galaxies. Researchers are

The Solar System is full of peculiar moons, ranging from hot to cold, liquid-filled to dusty. There are walnut moons and even potato moons. However, despite the diverse characteristics of the nearly 300 discovered moons, not a single one is a ringed moon. This absence of ringed moons is indeed bizarre, considering that half of

Betelgeuse, also known as Beetlejuice, has been a star that has captivated amateur astronomers for years. This red supergiant variable star located in the Orion constellation has recently gained even more attention due to its unexpected dimming phenomenon. With a few cycles of variability, one of them occurring over a 2,170-day period, Betelgeuse continues to