Venus: Size, Distance From the Sun, and Its Backward Orbit

Venus is often called Earth's twin, and on paper, that nickname makes sense, its nearly the same size, built from the same rocky ingredients,...

What Is a Constellation? A Beginner’s Guide to the Sky’s 88 Star Patterns

A constellation is a group of stars that forms a recognizable pattern in the night sky, one we've given a name, usually after a mythological figure, animal, or object. There are 88 of them officially recognized, and together they map out the entire sky....

How Many Planets Are There? The Real Answer Is Bigger Than Eight

There are eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,...

What Is a Galaxy? A Simple Guide to the Great Islands of Stars

A galaxy is an enormous collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, all...

What Can You See in the Night Sky Without a Telescope Tonight

Many people think you need expensive gear to explore space. Friends often say they...

Is Pluto a Planet: The Real Story Behind the Solar System’s Most Famous Demotion

The Short Answer No, Pluto is no longer classified as a planet. In 2006 the...

How Far Is the Sun From Earth? The 93-Million-Mile Answer and Why It Keeps Changing

The Sun sits an average of about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from...

How Old Is the Universe? The 13.8-Billion-Year Answer and How We Measured It

The universe is about 13.8 billion years old. More precisely, 13.787 billion years, give...

Europe Just Saw Its First Total Solar Eclipse Since 1999

On Wednesday, August 12, the Moon's shadow swept across Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain, giving mainland Europe its first total solar eclipse in 27...

Astronomers Just Caught a Star’s Death in Its First Second, Only the Second Time Ever

At 12:30 p.m. UTC on March 21, 2026, a Chinese space telescope called the...

Astronomers Just Found Three Supermassive Black Holes Sharing One Galaxy

Most large galaxies host exactly one supermassive black hole at their center. A galaxy...

How Many Planets Are There? The Real Answer Is Bigger Than Eight

There are eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,...

Galaxies & Deep Space

Supermoon: What It Really Is, Why It Happens, and When to Catch the Next One

A supermoon is a full moon that lines up with the Moon's closest approach...

What Is a Constellation? A Beginner’s Guide to the Sky’s 88 Star Patterns

A constellation is a group of stars that forms a recognizable pattern in the...

How Many Planets Are There? The Real Answer Is Bigger Than Eight

There are eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,...

What Is a Galaxy? A Simple Guide to the Great Islands of Stars

A galaxy is an enormous collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, all...

How Far Is the Sun From Earth? The 93-Million-Mile Answer and Why It Keeps Changing

The Sun sits an average of about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from...

Could Earth Have Rings? The Surprising Answer Hiding in Our Planet’s Past

Picture stepping outside on a clear night and looking up to see a bright...

How Many Galaxies Are There in the Universe?

Try to imagine every grain of sand on every beach on Earth. Now imagine...

The Photo Nobody at NASA Wanted to Take

By February 1990, Voyager 1 had already done its job. It had flown past...

What Is a Magnetar? The Strongest Magnets in the Universe

Somewhere out there sits a stellar remnant so magnetically powerful it could, in theory,...

Planets in Order: The Complete Guide to Our Solar System

Eight planets orbit the Sun, and their order never changes: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,...

What Is a Constellation? A Beginner’s Guide to the Sky’s 88 Star Patterns

A constellation is a group of stars that forms a recognizable pattern in the...

Astronomers Just Found a “Black Hole Star,” a Cosmic Object That Shouldn’t Exist

For years, the James Webb Space Telescope has been spotting mysterious, extremely bright red...

Meet the 10 Nearest Stars to Our Solar System

Look up at a truly dark sky and you're seeing light from thousands of...

Is Proxima Centauri b the Most Promising Exoplanet We’ve Found?

When astronomers confirmed the discovery of Proxima Centauri b back in 2016, it felt...

Planets

What Is a Nebula? The Cosmic Clouds That Build and Bury Stars

Some of the most breathtaking photos in all of astronomy, the ones that end up as phone wallpapers and framed prints and desktop backgrounds, are nebulae. Glowing pillars of colorful gas, swirling clouds lit up in deep reds and blues, star forming regions that...

Why Does Saturn Have Rings But Earth Doesn’t Explained

Have you ever gazed at the night sky and wondered about the majestic beauty...

What’s So Special About Our Moon? Discovering Its Impact and Diameter

Its easy to take the Moon for granted. It's up there almost every night,...

The Pleiades Star Cluster: A Guide to the Seven Sisters, the Sky’s Prettiest Handful of Stars

On a crisp autumn or winter night, away from the worst of the city...

How Many Galaxies Are There in the Universe?

Try to imagine every grain of sand on every beach on Earth. Now imagine...

Space Missions

Aurora Australis: The Southern Lights, Nature’s Glowing Show at the Bottom of the World

Almost everyone has seen photos of the Northern Lights, those rippling green curtains that draw travelers to Iceland, Norway, and Alaska every winter. Far...

How Many Earths Fit in the Sun: Just How Big Our Star Really Is

The Short Answer About 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the Sun. That's the kind...

How Far Is the Sun From Earth? The 93-Million-Mile Answer and Why It Keeps Changing

The Sun sits an average of about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from...

NASA’s Artemis Program What’s Happening in 2026 Explained

"Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still." These words from Carl Sagan perfectly capture the spirit driving our return to the moon. As we look toward the horizon, NASA's Artemis Program: What's Happening in 2026 represents a...

What’s So Special About Our Moon? Discovering Its Impact and Diameter

Its easy to take the Moon for granted. It's up there almost every night, it doesn't put on a dramatic show like a meteor...

Planet Earth

Voyager 1: The Farthest Human-Made Object Is About to Hit a Mind-Blowing Milestone

Somewhere out past the edge of our solar system, moving farther away with every...

What Is a Light-Year? The Cosmic Measuring Stick Everyone Gets Wrong

Here's a small confession that a lot of people are too embarrassed to make...

How Many Moons Does Jupiter Have Latest Count 2024

I remember looking through a telescope in my backyard as a kid. I felt...

The Rings of Neptune: The Solar System’s Faintest, Strangest Halo

Everybody knows Saturn has rings. They're the poster child, the show-off of the solar...

How Do Astronauts Sleep in Space Explained Simply

Did you know astronauts see 16 sunrises and sunsets every day? This fast pace messes with their natural sleep cycle. Without gravity, sleeping becomes a challenge that needs smart solutions. In space, your body doesn't feel the mattress like on Earth. This makes it hard...

All Articles

When Is the Next Solar Eclipse: Your Guide to the Ring of Fire and the Eclipse of the Century

The Short Answer The next solar eclipse is an annular "ring of fire" on February...

How Many Earths Fit in the Sun: Just How Big Our Star Really Is

The Short Answer About 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the Sun. That's the kind...

Is the Moon a Planet: Why Our Nearest Neighbour Doesn’t Make the Cut

The Short Answer No, the Moon is not a planet. It's a natural satellite, which...

How Fast Does the Earth Spin: The Dizzying Speed You Never Feel

The Short Answer At the equator, the Earth spins at roughly 1,670 kilometres per hour,...

How Long Does It Take to Get to the Moon: From a Few Hours to Over a Year

The Short Answer For the crewed Apollo missions, the trip to the Moon took about...

Why Is the Moon Orange Tonight: The Simple Science Behind a Glowing Red Moon

The Short Answer The Moon usually looks orange or red because it's sitting low on...