SPACE

Who Has Jurisdiction for Crimes Committed in Space?

With privatized space travel growing, it's inevitable we'll one day find ourselves faced with a space murder. How would the law deal with it?

A night at the museum is closer than you may think.

9 Museums Where You Can Spend the Night

If you ever dreamed of being Ben Stiller in “Night at the Museum”, we’ve got the next best thing.

NASA Wants Your Help Documenting Rare ‘Space Clouds’

Rare noctilucent clouds are showing up in places they never used to, and scientists are trying to find out why.

Astronauts have left a lot more than footprints on the moon.

7 Strange Things That Have Been Left On the Moon

Golf balls, a word from the queen, and an X-rated drawing by Andy Warhol are just some of the items left behind by astronauts.

This scene probably wouldn’t be enough to claim ownership of the moon in space court.

Does Anyone Own the Moon?

The question of who has a claim to the moon and its resources is less a speculative fiction subject and more one for lawyers. Specifically, space lawyers.

Quiz: Was This Object Left on the Moon?

Can you guess which pieces of space junk American astronauts left on the Moon?

NASA’s iconic image of Pluto, showing its heart-like pattern, captured by the New Horizons flyby in 2015.

7 Surprising Facts About Pluto

The dwarf planet sports steep mountains, smooth young surfaces, ice dunes, and a stunning blue atmosphere.

12 Distant Places in the Solar System (And What They’re Named After)

From famous musicians to literary landmarks to mythological figures—and beyond.

Not everyone gets to enjoy a view like this.

Wyoming Is Home to the World’s First Dark Sky Certified County

The Jackson Hole Airport is Dark Sky certified as well, making it the first airport to earn the recognition.

Scientists Build Soft Robot Inspired By Inflatable, Dancing Tube Men

A machine without electronics or software can walk, jump, and swim—showing how simple physics can compete with complex robotic systems.

Quiz: Can You Put the Planets in Order Based on the Length of Their Days?

See if you can tackle this astronomical challenge.

Can Astronauts Get Drunk in Space?

NASA officially prohibits alcohol aboard its missions, but that didn’t stop some American astronauts from enjoying a wee nip with their Russian colleagues.

7 Fascinating Facts About the Sun

Get ready to feel small: The sun is 99.8 percent of the mass of the solar system. Here are more colossal facts about our star.

Quiz: Can You Guess the Foods That Went to Space?

Figure out which of these tasty treats have left Earth to become astronaut appetizers or meals.

A fireball streaks through the sky in Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013.

It’s Fireball Season: Spot Meteors Brighter than Venus this Spring

Learn about the mysteries of fireball season, which peaks in the weeks around the vernal equinox.

Where Does Astronaut Poop End Up?

It burns up in the atmosphere like a fecal shooting star.

America’s entry into the space Olympics.

The Secret Cold War History of the Missile That Launched America’s First Satellite

On January 31, 1958, the United States became a space-faring nation with the Explorer-1 satellite.

Can You Match the Moon to the Planet It Belongs To?

Time to test your knowledge of astronomy.

The 10 States Most Likely to Survive an Alien Invasion

Did your state make the list of state most likely to endure an extraterrestrial encounter?

11 Space Facts That Will Change Your Perspective

If the sun were the size of a basketball, the Earth would be no larger than a pinhead.

Valentina Tereshkova in a Russian poster.

Valentina Tereshkova, the First Woman in Space

The factory worker-turned-cosmonaut dealt with plenty of sexism while trying to keep her spacecraft on track.

What Happens If You Shoot a Gun in Space?

Space shootouts are possible. The Soviets proved it.

John Denver really wanted to go to space.

When John Denver Almost Went into Space

The country music icon spent years trying to get higher than any musician had ever been.

Astronauts Piers J. Sellers (left) and David A. Wolf in the midst of a pre-breathe exercise in preparation for a spacewalk.

How Do Astronauts Breathe in Space?

Engineers have had to come up with some interesting ways to generate oxygen for astronauts in the vacuum of space.