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Now up for bid: Cockroach carcasses and the Apollo 11 moon dust extracted from their stomachs, the result of a 1969 NASA biological test in search of dangerous "moon bugs."

Cockroach-eaten Apollo 11 moon dust goes up for auction

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

For sale: One small sample of the moon brought back to Earth in 1969 by the Apollo 11 astronauts. Condition: Well-traveled and once digested.

These star trails are from the Eta Aquarids meteor shower of 2020, as seen from Cordoba, Argentina, at its peak on May 6.

A 'meteor storm' of 1,000 shooting stars per hour may light up the skies over North America next week

By Elizabeth Howell published

The Tau Herculids could bring up a meteor storm, but there's a good chance it won't happen at all.

An artist's interpretation of exoplanets orbiting a distant star.

China is looking for 'other Earths' to colonize

By Ben Turner published

The proposed project plans to use a controversial technique to spot habitable planets.

Vector illustration of Meteor Shower.

Shattered comet could produce dazzling meteor shower: How to watch the tau Herculids

By Ben Turner published

The comet was lost for over forty years

Artist's impression of an asteroid

Watch 'potentially hazardous' asteroid 7335 (1989 JA) blow past Earth this Friday

By Brandon Specktor published

The 'potentially hazardous' asteroid 7335 (1989 JA) will make a close approach to Earth on Friday, May 27. Here's how to watch live.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket will once again take to the skies in 2022.

How do space rockets work without air?

By Elizabeth Howell published

Here's the science of how rockets launch off Earth and zoom around space with no oxygen.

A photo of Neptune taken by Voyager 2 on August 16, 1989.

Neptune: The farthest planet from our sun

By Patrick Pester published

Neptune is the farthest planet from the sun in our solar system and home to blistering winds and diamond rain.

Artist's concept of a pulsar. There is a small blue sphere in the center with light pulsing out from the NW and SE areas of the pulsar.

What are pulsars?

By Paul Sutter published

Reference Pulsars are the ultradense cores of gigantic stars that emit beams of radio waves in regular pulses, like cosmic lighthouses.

Reference
Vector illustration of Meteor Shower.

A meteor shower outburst from a shattered comet may spawn a new tau Herculids display on May 30

By Joe Rao published

The tau Herculids from comet 73P/Schwassman-Wachmann which began to fragment in 1995 may make an appearance on the night of May 30-31.

A prism splitting white light into the color spectrum (rainbow).

What is visible light?

By Jim Lucas published

Reference Visible light is a type of electromagnetic radiation between the infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths, and it can be detected by cells in the human eye.

Reference
Asteroid 7335 (1989 JA), measuring four times as wide as the Empire State Building is high, will make a close approach to Earth on May 27, 2022.

Asteroid four times the size of the Empire State Building barreling toward Earth on May 27

By Brandon Specktor published

The near-Earth asteroid 7335 (1989 JA) will make a close approach to our planet on May 27, 2022, flying within about 2.5 million miles of Earth.

An illustration of the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which is traveling through interstellar space.

Voyager 1 sends strange signals from beyond the solar system. Scientists are confused.

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA's Voyager 1 space probe sent a confusing signal back to Earth, suggesting the craft doesn't know where it's located.

A 0.1-ounce (3-gram) sample of the Hypatia stone.

Alien stone in Egyptian desert came from rare supernova, scientists say

By Ben Turner published

The rock likely formed from the merging of dust with the remnants of the two stars involved in the explosion.

Artist concept of an alien planet. In this image is feels like you're standing on a mountain, looking over the top of the clouds as the sun sets in the background. There are several stars and planets just visible in the sky. There are also two sphere-shaped buildings to the right.

Humans could become a truly interplanetary species within 200 years, physicists claim

By Paul Sutter published

Harness renewable energy to explore the cosmos or risk planetary doom, new physics study argues

"Wow!" signal printout

Famous 'alien' Wow! signal may have come from distant, sunlike star

By Adam Mann published

An astronomer proposes that the sun-like star 2MASS 19281982-2640123 is the origin of the Wow! Signal

The LCLS-II accelerator, where temperatures 2 K above absolute zero have been achieved.

Temperatures colder than space achieved here on Earth using superconducting X-ray laser

By Robert Lea published

Using a superconducting X-ray laser, researchers at SLAC achieved a temperature 4 degrees Fahrenheit above absolute zero.

The Super Flower Blood Moon over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 15, 2022.

See these amazing images of the Blood Moon lunar eclipse from around the world

By Elizabeth Howell published

Billions of people saw the sky show Sunday (May 15) to Monday (May 16).

This NASA graphic shows the major stages of the Super Flower Blood Moon of May 2022 and their times.

What time is the Blood Moon lunar eclipse?

By Samantha Mathewson published

A Blood Moon total lunar eclipse will occur this weekend, and here's when to watch it.

This composite image shows the moon during a lunar eclipse in Tokyo on Jan. 31, 2018.

Here's how to watch the Flower Moon lunar eclipse today and tomorrow

By Elizabeth Howell published

We'll help you get set up outdoors or online, depending on your location or your preference.

Mercury in space surrounded by stars. Image elements furnished by NASA.

Mercury: Facts about the smallest planet

By Patrick Pester published

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, the fastest planet orbiting the sun and the smallest planet in our solar system.