Stories by SPACE.com

The Herschel Space Observatory has reached the end of its life after nearly four years mapping the "hidden universe"

In his address to the National Academy of Sciences on their 150th anniversary, Pres. Obama expressed his support for the sciences as a fundamental part of American life in today's world

The six-hour spacewalk involves upgrading the orbiting lab with new experiments to measure charged particle interactions and the effects of microbes on spacecraft materials

Spikes of ice along Europa's equator could explain the satellite's oddly warm midsection, but would complicate any potential spacecraft landing there in the future

An astrophotographer who snapped images of the cosmos from a driveway in Connecticut is taking center stage in a Brooklyn space art exhibit

NASA is temporarily suspending many of its public-outreach efforts as a result of the federal budget sequester, but a petition to protest the move has drawn 5,800 signatories so far

Astronomers have found a new type of supernova, a star explosion so weak scientists dubbed it a miniature stellar blast

Comet ISON has stagnated around 16th magnitude for a couple months rather than steadily gaining in brightness as expected. Various signs suggest that the comet's nucleus is not "healthy"

More than any other event, it marks the beginning of the astronomical year

The Department of Energy doesn't disclose the size of the nation's Pu 238 stockpile, but some scientists think it's alarmingly low

Comet Pan-STARRS will take about 110,000 years to orbit the sun after this first swing through the inner solar system

New observations by NASA's Curiosity rover suggest that microbial life could have survived on Mars in the distant past

After nearly four years mapping the cosmos, the Herschel Space Observatory is expected to exhaust its vital supply of liquid helium coolant within the next few weeks

Low-mass binary stars could make the best hosts for alien life because their combined energy extends the habitable region farther away than would exist around a single star

The upcoming cosmic spectacle should offer scientists a chance to test some of their theories about how black holes accrete mass

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter used radar to find the underground Martian channels

NASA's MESSENGER probe has imaged every square meter of the planet's surface

Although unlikely, there is a small chance the Comet Siding Spring, an estimated eight to 50 kilometers in diameter, could collide with Mars in October 2014

A plan is afoot for China and Europe to collaborate on a space station that could be operational by 2020

The Dragon capsule is due to deliver 544 kilograms of scientific experiments and supplies to the space station on Saturday

A Jupiter-like gas giant, 335 light-years from Earth, is caught in the process of formation by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile

The discovery could help astronomers better understand how these behemoths grow

Cassini's observations are giving scientists a look at processes that occur during star explosions

The X-37B, a prototype space drone operated by the U.S. Air Force, is entering the third month of a classified space mission