Space

Explore the vast reaches of space and mankind's continuing efforts to conquer the stars, including theories such as the Big Bang, the International Space Station, plus what the future holds for space travel and exploration.

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February is a cold time of year, and the snow moon nickname pays homage to that. What are some other names for February's full moon and what do they mean? Plus, when can you see the snow moon?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The coldest place in the universe exists some 5,000 light-years from Earth. Do you know where it is and what it's called?

By Valerie Stimac

The Big Dipper is one of those star groupings everyone seems familiar with, but how much do you really know about it?

By Valerie Stimac

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April's pink moon isn't called pink because our beloved bright white moon suddenly takes on a rosy hue. So, why is it called the "pink moon"?

By Valerie Stimac

Native American tribes have called the May moon the flower moon for centuries. The name even inspired a best-selling novel and film.

By Valerie Stimac

The full moon in June is known as the strawberry moon. It's a sweet name, but how did the strawberry moon get its moniker, and what else is it called?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The August 2023 full moon is known as the sturgeon moon. This year, it's also a supermoon and will be followed by a blue moon at the end of the month!

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

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Kepler-186f was the first Earth-sized planet found within its star's habitable zone. But there's still a lot we don't know about it.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The four Jovian planets are officially designated as gas (and/or ice) giants. Which planets are they and what makes them so unique?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Terrestrial planets include the four closest to our sun, including Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. What else makes these celestial bodies terrestrial planets?

By Mitch Ryan

Move over Saturn. There are other planets in the solar system surrounded by ring systems.

By Mitch Ryan

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Gliese 581c was one of the first "Earth-like" planets found, back in 2007. It generated a lot of excitement then but what about now?

By Kathryn Whitbourne

There are eight phases in the lunar cycle and the moon is in one of them every night. What are these phases of the moon?

By Valerie Stimac

The solar system's largest planet will pass closest to Earth at the same time it's at opposition. That means it will be the biggest and brightest it's been in the sky in decades.

By Patty Rasmussen

Debris on Mars comes from three main sources: inactive spacecraft, discarded hardware and crashed spacecraft. What risk does this trash pose to current and future missions?

By Cagri Kilic

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In 2022, the full moon, called the hunter's moon, will occur Oct. 9. Why is it called that and when can you see it?

By Valerie Stimac

UFOs and UAPs both refer to unidentified objects in the sky, but scientists prefer the term UAP. And that's because when we hear UFO, we automatically assume aliens.

By Allison Troutner & Austin Henderson

The two passengers might not be human, but they have a job to do. They're manning Artemis I to be zero gravity indicators.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

In 1952, angel hair came drifting from the sky, falling over the French towns of Oloron and Gaillac. The short life of angel hair makes it difficult to analyze. Learn more about the history of angel hair UFOs.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

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These days, we may take the stars for granted, but it's not hard to imagine the wonder early humans must have felt gazing up at those inexplicable points of light. Naturally, superstitions were bound to develop - some more fortuitous than others.

By Bambi Turner & Sascha Bos

The Geminid meteor shower is one of the year's stronger displays in terms of number and size of meteors. When's the best time to see it?

By Christopher Hassiotis

In 1953, CalTech geochemist Clair Patterson came up with an estimate for Earth's age that still holds today.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Humans have made it to the moon a number of times so we know how long the journey should take.

By Valerie Stimac & Austin Henderson