Mental Floss

SPACE

NASA's Perserverance rover takes a photo of Mars.

11 Riveting Facts About Mars

Few celestial objects have fascinated humankind throughout history more than the Red Planet. Here's what you need to know about Mars.

NASA via Getty Images

See What Hurricane Florence Looks Like From Space

“Watch out, America!” warns astronaut Alexander Gerst.

iStock

Is Pluto a Planet After All? A New Argument Emerges

The hapless dwarf planet got demoted in 2006, but some stubborn scientists are still lobbying for reinstatement.

Jonathan Nackstrand, AFP/Getty Images

A Solar Storm Could Make the Northern Lights Visible Over Parts of the U.S. Tonight

Catch the spectacle without taking a trip to the Arctic.

ESA/Hubble, NASA, A. Simon (GSFC) and the OPAL Team, J. DePasquale (STScI), L. Lamy (Observatoire de Paris)

Here's What the Northern Lights Look Like on Saturn

The phenomenon is not limited to our planet.

AFP/Getty Images

Scientists Are Racing to Save Neil Armstrong's Deteriorating Spacesuit

Plastic is surprisingly hard to preserve.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

5 Goals of the OSIRIS-REx Mission to the Asteroid 'Bennu'

The spacecraft will use a robotic arm to scoop up a sample of Bennu and then return it to Earth.

NASA

NASA Found 'Definitive Evidence' That There's Water Ice on the Moon

Huge news for future Moon explorers.

iStock

Could an Astronaut Steal a Rocket and Lift Off, Without Mission Control?

You might want to think twice before trying it.

Earth as captured from near the lunar horizon by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2015.

The Science Behind Why the Earth Isn't Flat

Let's review why and how we've known for at least 2300 years that the Earth is round.

Bill Ingalls, NASA/Getty Images

The Perseid Meteor Shower Is Going to Be Amazing This Weekend

Here's what you need to know.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

You Can Now Build Your Own Mars Rover for About $2500

Download the plans for free.

iStock

Does Anyone Own the Moon?

A space lawyer offers his opinion.

iStock

The Longest Total Lunar Eclipse of the 21st Century Lights Up the Skies This Weekend

You'll have one hour and 43 minutes to catch a glimpse.

iStock

Northern U.S. States Might Get a Glimpse of the Aurora Borealis Tonight

Look up, Minnesota!

ESA/ATG

The European Space Agency Needs Help Naming Its New Mars Rover

No Rover McRoverfaces, please.

Vice President Spiro Agnew and former President Lyndon Johnson view the liftoff of Apollo 11

Watch Apollo 11 Launch

Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969, on its way to the moon.

iStock

Astronomers Discover 12 New Moons Around Jupiter

The planet now has 79 moons in total.

Public Domain, Flickr

Why Do Astronauts Use Space Pens Instead of Pencils?

One technological breakthrough left the common pencil in the dust.

satellite

New Study Says We Could Be Alone in the Universe

Not everyone agrees.

ESO, A. Müller et al.

Here's the First Confirmed Image of a Planet Being Born

The baby planet is a few times bigger than Jupiter.

iStock

Saturn and a Strawberry Moon Will Brighten Night Skies This Week

The two bodies will appear close together in the sky on Wednesday.

iStock

NASA Has a Plan to Stop the Next Asteroid That Threatens Life on Earth

Don't panic—the U.S. government has a plan for doomsday.

Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images

Stephen Hawking’s Memorial Will Beam His Words Toward the Nearest Black Hole

Though he wasn't able to go to outer space during his lifetime, his words will travel there after his death.