astronomy

Did you know the famous astronomer campaigned for marijuana legalization? Read on for more little-known tidbits about Carl Sagan.

Cassini captured this sublime image of Saturn four days before it plunged into the planet's atmosphere.

You probably saw the headlines. Here's the inside look—and the big picture.

This portrait looking down on Saturn and its rings was created from images obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on October 10, 2013.

On September 15, scientists will intentionally crash the Cassini spacecraft into Saturn. Mental Floss will be there in mission control as it happens. Here are some essential facts about Saturn to get you ready for the big event.

Wake a few hours before sunrise tomorrow and you can start your day with some shooting stars.

Philipp Salzgeber // CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

In an astronomical coincidence, two men discovered the comet simultaneously on July 23, 1995.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

It’s hard to know exactly, but suffice it to say, a lot.

If you’re lucky enough to witness this spectacular astronomical phenomenon, make sure you bring your eclipse glasses—and a thermometer.

NASA / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Seán Doran © PUBLIC DOMAIN

The first raw images of the Earth-sized hurricane were released today. Thanks, NASA!

NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

Days on the planet closest to the Sun may reach 800°F, but it also has water ice.

Did you know a Jovian year is 4333 Earth days long?

It's as close to the Earth as it's going to get this year.

The Lydians and Medes dropped their weapons and declared a truce.

In the 27 years of SCIVIS, more than 3800 students from almost every state and more than 20 countries have attended.

FAECIASP/NASA/Conicet of Argentina/Getty Images

They’re probably the weirdest—and certainly the most puzzling—objects in the universe. Peer over the event horizon with us.

Constellations are temporary.

You can expect to see 10 meteors an hour tonight.

The Chicxulub crater is providing new clues about how life may have begun on Earth about 4 billion years ago—and point us towards how and where we can look for life across the universe.

The planet resides in its star’s habitable zone, the slim "Goldilocks" orbit at which water can exist as a stable liquid.

12 Out-of-This-World Facts About Carl Sagan

Inside the Mission to Intentionally Destroy the Cassini Spacecraft

9 Essential Facts About Saturn

Eclipses Belong to Families That Span Millennia

This Newspaper Article Was Hyping the 2017 Eclipse All the Way Back in 1932

Look Up! The Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend

Photograph Captures the Dazzling Hues of the 'Rainbow Star'

Look Up! The Southern Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower Is Here

Remembering Comet Hale-Bopp's Unlikely Discovery

How Many Rings Does Saturn Have?

Will the Solar Eclipse Have an Impact on the Weather?

Here's the Closest View of Jupiter's Great Red Spot That Humans Have Ever Seen

7 Hot Facts About Mercury

7 Astounding Facts About Jupiter

Look Up Tonight! Saturn Is Big and Bright, With Rings Tilted Our Way

On This Day in 585 BCE, a Solar Eclipse Ended a War

Inside the Space Camp Designed for Blind and Visually Impaired Kids

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Black Holes

Watch How Stars Will Move Over the Next 5,000,000 Years

Look Up Tonight! The Lyrids Meteor Shower Is Set to Stun!

The Fireball That Killed the Dinosaurs Could Help Us Find Life on Other Planets

New "Super-Earth" Exoplanet May Have Water—and Life