Space(Page 3)

The latest discoveries from space agencies and astronomers as they explore galaxies, black holes, exoplanets, and more. Also learn about night sky watching events right here on the home planet.

Latest in Space

a variety of products on a banner reading 'best of what's new 2024'

The 50 greatest innovations of 2024 The 50 greatest innovations of 2024

By Popular Science Team

drone flying for aerial night photography

Drones can avoid GPS jammers by navigating with the stars Drones can avoid GPS jammers by navigating with the stars

NASA needs your help designing a gurney for the moon NASA needs your help designing a gurney for the moon

fireplace with rocket inside

NASA’s rocket engine fireplace sets the holiday mood NASA’s rocket engine fireplace sets the holiday mood

By Popular Science Team

a constellation of seven stars grouped in a circle

December’s skies illuminate with the Seven Sisters and Cold Moon December’s skies illuminate with the Seven Sisters and Cold Moon

By Laura Baisas

An artificially colored view of Jupiter as seen in ultraviolet light. In addition to the Great Red Spot, which appears blue, another oval feature can be seen in the brown haze at Jupiter's south pole. The oval, an area of concentrated haze, is possibly the result of mixing generated by a vortex higher up in the planet's ionosphere. These dark UV ovals also appear periodically at the north pole, though less often.

Great Red What? Check out Jupiter’s giant, magnetic tornado Great Red What? Check out Jupiter’s giant, magnetic tornado

By Laura Baisas

Image of aircraft wing over Greenland ice sheet with radar image of Camp Century underneath it

NASA radar picks up frozen, buried Cold War base Camp Century NASA radar picks up frozen, buried Cold War base Camp Century

Concept art depicting Starship HLS on lunar surface with Earth in background

New concept art shows how SpaceX’s Starship will transport Artemis III astronauts to the moon New concept art shows how SpaceX’s Starship will transport Artemis III astronauts to the moon

a black meteorite on display at a musuem

4-billion-year-old mineral offers clues about Mars’ steaming hot past 4-billion-year-old mineral offers clues about Mars’ steaming hot past

By Laura Baisas

an astronaut on a spacewalk in a full spacesuit takes a selfie with earth in the background

Six months in space is not that bad for your brain Six months in space is not that bad for your brain

By Laura Baisas

SpaceX Starship launching on fifth test flight

The SpaceX Starship is so loud, it may kill birds The SpaceX Starship is so loud, it may kill birds

Aurora MK-II rocket plane above Earth

Watch the first commercial supersonic test flight in over 20 years Watch the first commercial supersonic test flight in over 20 years

swirling blue and brown image on half moon and black background

Jupiter stuns in new images Jupiter stuns in new images

By Popular Science Team

Lafayette-Meteorite

Meteorite found in a drawer in 1929 contains ancient evidence of liquid water on Mars Meteorite found in a drawer in 1929 contains ancient evidence of liquid water on Mars

The best star projectors

Gear

The best star projectors The best star projectors

By Brandon Russell

Gloved hand pointing to LignoSat wooden satellite prototype

World’s first wooden satellite shares material with samurai sword sheaths World’s first wooden satellite shares material with samurai sword sheaths

ISS's first crew poses during water survival training.

November 2, 2000: The first residents move into the International Space Station November 2, 2000: The first residents move into the International Space Station

By Bill Gourgey

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching with ISS Crew-9

NASA warns SpaceX over safety issues after astronaut hospitalization NASA warns SpaceX over safety issues after astronaut hospitalization

The uber-optimistic history and prolonged future of space tourism

The uber-optimistic history and prolonged future of space tourism The uber-optimistic history and prolonged future of space tourism

By Bill Gourgey

Phobos passing across Sun as seen by Perseverance rover on Mars

Googly-eyed potato eclipse filmed by NASA’s Perseverance rover Googly-eyed potato eclipse filmed by NASA’s Perseverance rover

A Leonids meteor streaks across the sky over Ankara, Turkey on November 17, 2020.

November’s sky lights up with three meteor showers and the last supermoon of 2024 November’s sky lights up with three meteor showers and the last supermoon of 2024

By Laura Baisas

The best travel telescopes on a plain white background.

Gear

The best travel telescopes The best travel telescopes

By Abby Ferguson

a man wearing a NASA hat aboard the International Space Station squirts ketchup into his mouth. the ketchup comes out in one long stream

See (and never unsee) a NASA astronaut eating ketchup in space See (and never unsee) a NASA astronaut eating ketchup in space

By Laura Baisas

Neither candidate has talked much about space policy on the campaign trail, but both have records to consider.

How Harris and Trump differ on space policy How Harris and Trump differ on space policy

By Thomas G. Roberts / The Conversation

a black hole with orange and blue light swirling around it. two other objects, a large orange circle and a smaller bright orange star orbit around it

First ‘black hole triple’ may have formed in a surprisingly gentle way First ‘black hole triple’ may have formed in a surprisingly gentle way

By Laura Baisas

A technician inspects a prototype LISA telescope.

NASA unveils model of LISA, a satellite array for studying ripples in space-time NASA unveils model of LISA, a satellite array for studying ripples in space-time

Still from Armageddon (1998).

What Hollywood gets wrong—and surprisingly right—about saving the world from killer asteroids What Hollywood gets wrong—and surprisingly right—about saving the world from killer asteroids

By Robin Andrews

two rocks in foreground, milky way in background

12 breathtaking images from the 2024 Astrophotography Prize Photographer of the Year awards 12 breathtaking images from the 2024 Astrophotography Prize Photographer of the Year awards

By Popular Science Team

The Winchcombe meteorite sits on display at the Natural History Museum on May 13, 2021 in London, England. The meteorite is a rare type, the first to fall in 30 years.

When a meteor smashes into your driveway When a meteor smashes into your driveway

By Robin Andrews

Axiom and Prada designed a custom white fabric that can protect astronauts from extreme heat and dangerous lunar dust.

How Prada’s fancy Artemis III spacesuits work How Prada’s fancy Artemis III spacesuits work

By Mack DeGeurin

Sierra Space TCPS machine

ISS astronauts to test trash compactor that’s basically WALL-E ISS astronauts to test trash compactor that’s basically WALL-E

The surface of Europa – one of Jupiter’s moons – is a thick layer of solid ice.

Europa Clipper is one of two missions on their way to see if Jupiter’s moons could support life Europa Clipper is one of two missions on their way to see if Jupiter’s moons could support life

By Mike Sori / The Conversation

An iron meteorite from the core of a melted planetesimal (left) and a chondrite meteorite, derived from a ‘primitive’, unmelted planetesimal (right).

Building blocks of life on Earth originate from a relatively small amount of source material Building blocks of life on Earth originate from a relatively small amount of source material

The night sky in Wisconsin glows with the Northern Lights as a geomagnetic storm brings vibrant pink and green colors to a majority of the northern states.

Northern Lights dazzle in stunning photos from Key West to NYC to China Northern Lights dazzle in stunning photos from Key West to NYC to China

By Popular Science Staff

Concept art depicting the X-37B space plane aerobraking above Earth

Space Force’s mysterious X-37B is testing its ‘aerobraking’ Space Force’s mysterious X-37B is testing its ‘aerobraking’

a close-up of the planet jupiter's great red spot. it is a swirling red storm on the planet's more white and orange surface

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot jiggles like JELL-O Jupiter’s Great Red Spot jiggles like JELL-O

By Laura Baisas

Illustration: HIP 41378 f is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits an F-type star. Its mass is 0.233 Jupiters and it takes 3 years to complete one orbit of its star. Its discovery was announced in 2016.

What if ‘cotton candy’ planets are actually Ring Pops? What if ‘cotton candy’ planets are actually Ring Pops?

By Briley Lewis

mars the planet

NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the 2030s NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the 2030s

By Joel S. Levine / The Conversation

three photos showing aurora from space

Astronaut shares dazzling footage of aurora from space Astronaut shares dazzling footage of aurora from space

By Popular Science Team

Three Celestron telescopes on a plain background.

Gear

We love this Celestron smart telescope—it’s almost $150 off during Amazon’s fall Prime Day We love this Celestron smart telescope—it’s almost $150 off during Amazon’s fall Prime Day

Illustration of the global coronal magnetic field as the sun rotates. The background is the solar corona observed in extreme-ultraviolet waveband, with global coronal magnetic field maps measured at different time overlapped on top of it.

The sun’s magnetic field is where the ‘stuff’ is. It can be dangerous. The sun’s magnetic field is where the ‘stuff’ is. It can be dangerous.

By Laura Baisas

Voyager 2 diagram with equipment labeled

NASA shut off a Voyager 2 tool to save power NASA shut off a Voyager 2 tool to save power

Lightning strike at night

NASA’s U-2 spy plane found gamma rays in 90% of lightning storms NASA’s U-2 spy plane found gamma rays in 90% of lightning storms

JUICE image of Earth's radiation belt

NASA captured the clearest ever images of Earth’s radiation belt NASA captured the clearest ever images of Earth’s radiation belt

an illustration of an orange dot orbiting a larger orangish body in space

Astronomers discover a new exoplanet orbiting the closest single star to the sun Astronomers discover a new exoplanet orbiting the closest single star to the sun

By Laura Baisas

Chinese lunar spacesuit

China debuts its moon mission spacesuits China debuts its moon mission spacesuits

a bright green meteor streaks across the sky over cliffs

October’s skies bring an oddball meteor and a shiny new comet–if you’re lucky October’s skies bring an oddball meteor and a shiny new comet–if you’re lucky

By Laura Baisas

Artwork of cubesats in the sky.

CubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system CubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system

By Mustafa Aksoy / The Conversation

a woman with blonde hair that floats near a window overlooking earth from above

Polaris Dawn crew shares stunning new images from historic space mission Polaris Dawn crew shares stunning new images from historic space mission

By Popular Science Team

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas raises an American flag as NASA astronaut Kate Rubins looks on during their first simulated moonwalk in a week-long field test consisting of four simulated moonwalks and six advanced technology runs in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Northern Arizona on May 13, 202

At Earth’s most extreme locales, astronauts find ideal places to prep for space At Earth’s most extreme locales, astronauts find ideal places to prep for space

By Briley Lewis

Artist concept: The LSST will carry out a deep, ten-year imaging survey in six broad optical bands over the main survey area of 18,000 square degrees.

How AI’s data-crunching-power can help demystify the cosmos How AI’s data-crunching-power can help demystify the cosmos

By Briley Lewis

Satellite image of Hurricane Helene

What Hurricane Helene looks like from space What Hurricane Helene looks like from space

This collage highlights a small selection of regions of the Milky Way imaged as part of the most detailed infrared map ever of our galaxy. Here we see, from left to right and top to bottom: NGC 3576, NGC 6357, Messier 17, NGC 6188, Messier 22 and NGC 3603. All of them are clouds of gas and dust where stars are forming, except Messier 22, which is a very dense group of old stars.

1.5 billion cosmic objects dazzle in the largest infrared Milky Way map ever created 1.5 billion cosmic objects dazzle in the largest infrared Milky Way map ever created

This artist concept illustrates the frenzied activity at the core of our Milky Way galaxy. The galactic center hosts a supermassive black hole in the region known as Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A*, with a mass of about four million times that of our sun.

Can the black hole in the center of our galaxy expand to our solar system? Can the black hole in the center of our galaxy expand to our solar system?

By Alex Hazlett

Z Machine operating at Sandia National Laboratories

Could nukes deflect an asteroid? ‘X-ray scissors’ offer scientists clues. Could nukes deflect an asteroid? ‘X-ray scissors’ offer scientists clues.

Video still of Deep Blue Aerospace's Nebula-1 rocket attempting to reland

Drone captures Chinese reusable test rocket’s fiery end Drone captures Chinese reusable test rocket’s fiery end

The cool ways ISS astronauts conduct experiments using household items

The cool ways ISS astronauts conduct experiments using household items The cool ways ISS astronauts conduct experiments using household items

By Briley Lewis

An artist's illustration of the longest black hole jet system ever observed.

Biggest black hole jets ever seen span 140 Milky Way galaxies Biggest black hole jets ever seen span 140 Milky Way galaxies

a space craft floats in space

What human-made object is the farthest from Earth? What human-made object is the farthest from Earth?

By Alex Hazlett

This map shows the oldest light in our universe, as detected with the greatest precision yet by the Planck mission.

What was the first color in the universe? What was the first color in the universe?

By Tyler Thrasher and Terry Mudge

a reddish moon in the sky

How the blood moon gets its ghoulish hue How the blood moon gets its ghoulish hue

By Tyler Thrasher and Terry Mudge

Concept art of AST Spacemobile Bluewalker 3 above Earth

Five new massive satellites outshine most evening stars Five new massive satellites outshine most evening stars

This artist concept illustrates a supermassive black hole with millions to billions times the mass of our Sun. Supermassive black holes are enormously dense objects buried at the hearts of galaxies.

Searching for the secrets behind the Little Red Dots Searching for the secrets behind the Little Red Dots

By Fabio Pacucci / The Conversation

Illustration of the cases where one impulse Δv = 10−1 m s−1 from a small asteroid impact has been applied to Apophis.

Astrophysicist predicts (slightly) higher chance for major asteroid impact in 2029 Astrophysicist predicts (slightly) higher chance for major asteroid impact in 2029