Black and white mapping of canals
Natural Science

The Extinct Civilization of Mars

Liquid water has been detected on Mars. We explore the history of the search, and the astronomer, Percival Lowell, who shook the public imagination.
Astronauts on the International Space Station are ready to sample their harvest of a crop of "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce from the Veggie plant growth system that tests hardware for growing vegetables and other plants in space. Credits: NASA
Science & Technology

Gardening in Space

Zero-gravity gardening: why growing plants in space isn't the same as here on Earth.
Artist's concept of buckyballs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons around an R Coronae Borealis star rich in hydrogen. Credit: MultiMedia Service (IAC)
Natural Science

What’s between the Stars? Buckyballs!

How buckyballs fit into the formation of new stars.
An Earth-like planet in the foreground and the sun in the background
Natural Science

Kepler Finds Truly Earth-like World

The Kepler telescope discovers a habitable planet.
Satellite orbiting Pluto
Natural Science

Pluto Gets a Close-Up

What the New Horizon voyage tells us about Pluto.
Europa, oneEuropa, one of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter
Science & Technology

NASA Sets Its Sites on Europa

NASA has decided on the nature and scope of a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa, scheduled in the 2020s.
A crowd of blurry figures in cool blue light
Natural Science

What Would Alien Life on Other Planets Look Like?

Predictions on alien life on other planets.
The Messenger spacecraft orbiting a planet
Science & Technology

The Mercury Messenger Spacecraft: Going Out in a (Planned) Blaze of Glory

NASA's Mercury Messenger Spacecraft has crashed.
Twin stars in space
Natural Science

Watching the Twin Suns Rise on a Real-Life Tatooine

Twin suns, like the ones seen in Star Wars, may be more common than originally thought.
Illustration of Dawn spacecraft in space
Science & Technology

A New Engine Sends NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft on Its Way

Dawn spacecraft's mission to Ceres is made possible by a brand new ion engine that runs off individual atoms.