
Space Rocks Keep Hitting Jupiter: What’s the Deal with That?
The giant planet’s hefty gravitational tug helps explain a spate of recent asteroid strikes
The giant planet’s hefty gravitational tug helps explain a spate of recent asteroid strikes
A new virtual model of our planet could help resolve lingering climatic uncertainties
A major report outlining the highest priorities and recommendations for U.S. astronomy has finally been released, revealing the shape of things to come
A congressional hearing about NASA’s budget and activities offered more questions than answers about the International Space Station, orbital debris hazards and returning astronauts to the moon...
The observatory must complete about 50 major deployments after liftoff
The woman awoke to find the space rock laying next to her head
The 90-year-old Star Trek actor is now the oldest person to fly in space
A new approach could mitigate the most damaging effects of an imminent asteroid or comet strike—or ensure many threatening objects never get close to striking Earth in the first place...
Far from pioneering wide access to orbit, privately funded spaceflight is geared to perpetuate inequities in space and on Earth
The space agency’s first-ever robotic moon rover will touch down in late 2023 just west of Nobile, a crater near the lunar south pole
The crew’s splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean marks the historic mission’s end
The platform could aid climate science, space junk cleanup and planetary exploration
Although our sun is considered a quiet star, it is now thought to have repeatedly pelted our planet with enormous eruptions in the not too distant past. Could another occur in the near future?...
Economic inequality, an indulgent trip to space and an ongoing legal battle with NASA are putting the space company in the hot seat
Using data from the OSIRIS-REx mission, scientists calculated slightly increased (but still low) odds the space rock will collide with our planet in the 2100s
Seeking to collect its inaugural core sample, the mission hopes to begin what could be humanity’s boldest search for extraterrestrial life
Mycologist Paul Stamets discusses the potential extraterrestrial uses of fungi, including terraforming planets, building human habitats—and providing psilocybin therapy to astronauts...
Mineral deposits, not salty water, are the most likely cause of radar reflections spotted beneath the planet’s south pole, a new study finds
China’s meteoric rise in space science and exploration—along with its new partnership with Russia—is spurring U.S. experts to reconsider a long-standing prohibition on bilateral collaborations...
The blog’s author reflects as nine years of writing undergo an evolutionary change
Support science journalism.
Thanks for reading Scientific American. Knowledge awaits.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue.
Create Account