The Strongest Solar Storm in 20 Years Did Little Damage, but Worse Space Weather Is Coming
Years of careful planning helped safeguard against last weekend’s severe space weather, but we still don’t know how we’d cope with a monster event
Don Pettit, NASA’s Oldest Active Astronaut, Is Going Back to Space
Veteran spacefarer Don Pettit is set to launch this summer on a half-year mission to the International Space Station to perform novel science experiments, snap unique orbital photos, and much more
Sun Erupts with Largest Flare of This Solar Cycle, but Auroras Unlikely to Follow
The same massive sunspot cluster that gave Earth multiple nights of stunning aurora displays has now produced the largest flare of the current solar cycle
Don’t Panic—At Least, Not about a Nearby Supernova
An exploding star is a catastrophe on a cosmic scale, but here on Earth we’re safe from such astral disasters—for now
It’s Time for a Nature Preserve—On the Moon
The far side of the moon holds the keys to the future of radio astronomy. We must maintain its pristine silence to benefit everyone
Where Is the Edge of the Solar System?
The solar system’s outer limits aren’t as clear-cut as you might think
The Threat of a Solar Superstorm Is Growing—And We’re Not Ready
Someday an unlucky outburst from our sun could strike Earth and fry most of our electronics—and we’ve already had some too-close-for-comfort near misses
How to See the Lunar Far Side Right Here on Earth
Perspective and subtle motion allows us to peek over the moon’s edge and into its far side
SpaceX’s Starship Could Save NASA’s Beleaguered Mars Sample Return Mission
Facing budgetary pressure for its Mars Sample Return program, NASA has turned to private industry for ideas—perhaps with one specific company in mind
How Jeff Koons’s Lunar Artwork Could Outlast All of Humanity
How long can humanity’s artifacts endure on the lunar surface? A new installation from artist Jeff Koons is inadvertently putting this question to the test
NASA’s Artemis Astronauts Will Help Grow Crops on the Moon—And Much More
When astronauts return to the moon later this decade, they’ll bring along science experiments to study moonquakes, lunar water ice and extraterrestrial agriculture
Where Is Planet Nine? Its Hiding Places Are Running Out
The search for a mysterious planetary body beyond Neptune has narrowed down its possible location—if it exists at all