Space

Some brave explorers travel across oceans; others blast off into space. This list of famous astronauts celebrates the pioneers of space exploration — those who took "one giant leap" for humankind and expanded our reach beyond Earth.

By Grant Virellan

When the Sun gets rowdy, Earth feels it. A geomagnetic storm happens when solar activity stirs up Earth’s magnetic field, producing large magnetic disturbances that can mess with everything from navigation systems to power grids.

By Grant Virellan

Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams are the two NASA astronauts that have been circulating in the news since becoming stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024. After several obstacles, they returned to Earth on March 18, 2025.

By Mitch Ryan

In 1859, the Carrington Event was the most intense global solar storm ever recorded. The effects were felt all over the Earth.

By Ada Tseng

The night sky has been mapped and studied for thousands of years, with constellations serving as guides for navigation, storytelling and scientific observation. The International Astronomical Union officially recognizes 88 modern constellations, each occupying a specific section of the celestial sphere. Some date back to ancient Greek constellations, while other constellation names were introduced in the modern era.

By Mack Hayden

The most recent India moon landing mission was completed on August 23, 2023. This monumental space mission led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) became the first to land on the lunar South Pole.

By Mitch Ryan

The night sky has fascinated humans for centuries, with people incorporating the countless twinkling stars into various navigation methods, cultural traditions, religious movements and more. Among these, a select few stand out to viewers here on Earth as being the biggest and brightest. But which is the brightest star in the sky?

By Marie Look

Black holes have long held the spotlight as celestial objects from which nothing, not even light, can escape. However, theoretical physicists propose a less understood but equally fascinating counterpart: the white hole.

By Marie Look

In the vast night sky, where countless stars vie for attention, one colossus reigns supreme as the largest star in the universe. Situated thousands of light-years from Earth, this celestial giant's sheer magnitude challenges our understanding of stellar physics.

By Clarissa Mitton

The harvest moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, typically in late September or early October in the Northern Hemisphere.

By Nicole Antonio

Mercury Retrograde is coming. Is your life about to turn upside down? Discover the dates you must know & how to avoid total disaster.

By HowStuffWorks

Delve into the Earth's layers: crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. Discover the secrets beneath our feet and the dynamic processes at play.

By HowStuffWorks

Explore the mysteries of the outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Dive deep into their atmospheres, moons, and unique phenomena.

By HowStuffWorks

Nothing lasts forever. Does that include our home planet, too?

By Shichun Huang

Sometimes hundreds of people armed with high-tech cameras can make amazing scientific discoveries, as in the case of STEVE.

By Jesslyn Shields

March's full moon is called the worm moon for an unusual reason. What are some other names for the March moon and when can you see it?

By Valerie Stimac

Every 24 hours, Earth makes a full rotation on its axis. But why does Earth spin in the first place?

By Silas Laycock

Researchers at Australian National University studied 5,000 star-eating behemoths to find out.

By Christian Wolf

January's moon is called the wolf moon, but it's also known as the center moon and the freeze up moon (among other names). Here's why.

By Valerie Stimac

Is it possible that we are not alone in the universe, but are just like animals in a zoo to the aliens who are watching us?

By Robert Lamb

Stars are giant nuclear fusion reactors, and we wouldn't exist without them. Find out how much you know about these twinkling lights with our quiz.

By David Warmflash, M.D.

All of the planets in the solar system are named for Greek gods, except Earth. So where did the name come from?

By Mark Mancini

He stood just 5 feet, 2 inches. But Gagarin cast an enormously long shadow in space exploration, both for his achievements and his mysterious death.

By Nathan Chandler

We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's historic journey to the moon.

It's been more than 50 years since humans first landed on the moon. Pull up a lunar module and let's see how much you know about Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and the adventure that immortalized them.

By Mark Mancini