NASA

The snapshots will be used to verify satellite data.

NASA could use the results of its Twins Study to send humans to Mars.

The entire planet is only three times as long as the Grand Canyon.

It's named for a Hawaiian goddess.

The 1987 Montreal Protocol prohibited the use of ozone-destroying substances. Now, it looks like it paid off.

Neptune is like a celestial paint swatch: a stunning royal blue that demands attention.

In a composite photo, the International Space Station passes in front of the Sun during the total eclipse on August 21, 2017.

"From a NASA perspective, there is no other single event that has informed so many scientific disciplines."

When conventional scales don't work, they use this instead.

Imagine trying to start a car that's been sitting in a garage for decades—and the car is 13 billion miles away.

Even Carl Sagan, who created it, was turned down by NASA when he asked for one.

A composite image of Uranus by Voyager 2 and two different observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope

FYI, this ice giant is not pronounced "your anus," but rather, "urine us" … which is hardly an improvement.

An artist's conception of the dwarf planet Ceres in the main asteroid belt.

The asteroid belt tells the story of the creation of the solar system.

Plasma waves, stardust showers, and Jupiter lightning would sound right at home in a haunted house.

And you know what that means: Aliens!! (Kind of.)

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

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.

Neil Armstrong, who would have turned 87 years old today, is remembered as both a "reluctant American hero" and "the spiritual repository of spacefaring dreams and ambitions."

Eisenhower signed the legislation largely in response to the USSR's various Sputnik satellites.

A software error coupled with a radar failure led to the loss of NASA's first Venus probe.

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

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

The STS-135 crew got morning wakeup calls from Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, Michael Stipe, and Elton John.

The "year" lasted 18 months.

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

NASA Photo ID S65-30427 // Public Domain

Ed White loved it. He had to be ordered repeatedly to come back inside the spacecraft.

This Spring, NASA Wants Your Pictures of Clouds

A Year in Space Changed How Astronaut Scott Kelly's Genes Behaved

10 Facts About the Dwarf Planet Makemake

10 Facts About the Dwarf Planet Haumea

The Ozone Layer Is Healing, Thanks to an International Ban on Harmful Man-Made Chemicals

9 Compelling Facts About Neptune

What We Learned So Far From The Total Solar Eclipse of 2017—And Why There's Much More to Come

The Fascinating Device Astronauts Use to Weigh Themselves in Space

Voyager 1's Back Thrusters Just Fired Up for the First Time in 37 Years

You Can Now Get Your Own Copy of the Voyager 'Golden Record'

8 Giant Facts About Uranus

8 Astounding Facts About the Asteroid Belt

Get in the Halloween Spirit With a NASA-Curated Playlist of Spooky Space Sounds

Thanks to NASA, the Search for Habitable Worlds Just Got Easier

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

9 Essential Facts About Saturn

6 Memorable Letters From Neil Armstrong

On This Day in 1958, NASA Was Created

On This Day in 1962, NASA Launched and Destroyed Mariner 1

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

Remembering the Final Space Shuttle Mission

A Brief History of the International Geophysical Year

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

On This Day in 1965, the First American Walked in Space