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a clunky space probe in black.

On this day in space! Nov. 1, 1962: Soviet Union launches Mars 1

Hanneke Weitering last updated 1 November 24

On Nov. 1, 1962, the Soviet Union launched the Mars 1 spacecraft on a mission to fly by the Red Planet.

graphic with night sky in large font and silhouettes of people below looking up at the night sky.

Night sky for tonight: Visible planets, stars and more in this evening's sky

Jamie Carter last updated 1 November 24

Find out what you can see in the night sky for tonight, from planets and stars to dazzling meteor showers.

generic moon phase sequence image showing four phases of the moon.

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2024

Tariq Malik last updated 1 November 24

Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2024.

a craggy grey moon on a black background

Small moon of Uranus may have once had a subsurface liquid water ocean

Conor Feehly published 1 November 24

Surface features of Uranus' icy moon Miranda point to the existence of a once deep ocean, one that still may exist today.

A white and black Boeing Starliner space capsule is seen docked at the International Space Station through a station window with the Earth below.

Boeing can recover from its Starliner troubles, but it can’t afford any other misfires

Loizos Heracleous published 31 October 24

The partial failure of Starliner’s mission doesn’t help Boeing’s effort to bounce back from its problems.

several rows of earth in false color

Earth sure looks spooky in these 'hyperspectral' images from Europe's Hera asteroid probe

Elizabeth Howell published 31 October 24

These strange shots of Earth are a Halloween treat.

two swirling galaxies in deep space glow in shades of red and yellow

NASA's solar-sailing spacecraft has a bent boom and is still tumbling in Earth orbit (photo)

By Mike Wall published 25 October 24

The technology-demonstrating Advanced Composite Solar Sail System has a bent boom in Earth orbit, but NASA says it shouldn't be a big deal.

In a room with black spikey foam walls, a white pipe holds up a device with metal components that circle outward to the left to connect with a thing rectangular bar standing adjancent.Power-beaming equipment developed by Space Solar tested in a lab experiment.

Breakthrough coming? Iceland could get solar power from space in 2030

By Tereza Pultarova published 24 October 24

A British startup plans to supply solar power from space to Icelanders by 2030, in what could be the world's first demonstration of the novel renewable energy source.

  • 2 Boeing can recover from its Starliner troubles, but it can’t afford any other misfires
  • 3 Earth sure looks spooky in these 'hyperspectral' images from Europe's Hera asteroid probe
  • 4 India targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 sample-return mission to moon's south pole
  • 5 Stare into the 'blood-soaked eyes' of 2 spooky galaxies in new Hubble, JWST images (video)

Spaceflight

A view from the Cupola porthole on the International Space Station.

Both Harris and Trump have records on space policy − an international affairs expert examines where they differ when it comes to the final frontier

By Thomas G. Roberts published 28 October 24

The next president of the United States could be the first in that office to accept a phone call from the Moon and hear a woman’s voice on the line.

an astronaut with a helmet visible in the round doorway of a spacecraft hatch, whose door is open showing gears and mechanics

Artemis 2 astronauts train for emergencies with Orion spacecraft ahead of 2025 moon launch (photos)

By Elizabeth Howell published 28 October 24

How do you get ready for a moon mission? The Artemis 2 astronauts practiced a day in space ahead of their historic liftoff in 2025 to see what living in the Orion spacecraft is like.

Science & Astronomy

a graphic illustration of a flat earth with a large dome structure above.

How to debate a flat-Earther

By Paul Sutter last updated 31 October 24

Some people around the world believe our planet is flat. Here's the (surprising) truth about debating them.

This view of the Moon's cratered South Pole was seen by NASA's Clementine spacecraft in 1996.

India targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 sample-return mission to moon's south pole

By Sharmila Kuthunur published 31 October 24

India is eyeing a 2028 launch for its Chandrayaan-4 moon sample-return mission, followed by an uncrewed lunar lander and rover in collaboration with Japan.

Meet the team

Tariq malik.

Editor-in-Chief

Brett Tingley

Managing Editor

Dr. Mike Wall

Spaceflight Editor

Monisha Ravisetti

Astronomy Editor

Dr. Daisy Dobrijevic

Reference Editor

Jason Parnell-Brookes

Skywatching & Cameras Editor

Dr. Elizabeth Howell

Staff Writer

Senior Writer

Josh Dinner

Writer, Content Manager

Alexander Cox

Steve spaleta.

Senior Producer

Search For Life

A large green sphere covered by a green mist a ringed sphere is visible in the background

Saturn's moon Titan may have a 6-mile-thick crust of methane ice — could life be under there?

By Robert Lea published 30 October 24

A 6-mile-thick shell of methane ice on Saturn's moon Titan could assist in the hunt for life signs arising from this moon's vast subsurface ocean.

An artist's impression of the purported Black Knight satellite, the focus of a long-lived conspiracy theory.

The 'Black Knight' satellite conspiracy: Uncovering the 120-year-old alien mystery

By David Crookes last updated 28 October 24

According to conspiracy theorists, the Black Knight satellite is an alien spacecraft orbiting Earth. Here's what's really going on.

An illustration of the Kuiper belt beyond which a hypothetical ninth planet has been suggested to dwell

Does alien life need a planet to survive? Scientists propose intriguing possibility

By Paul Sutter published 26 October 24

While such organisms may or may not exist in the universe, the research has important implications for future human endeavors in space.

Skywatching

adjacent spiral galaxies with glowing arms of reds and pinks stare like a pair of eyes, their centers white hot yellow, from the black abyss of space.

Space pictures! See our space image of the day

By Space.com Staff last updated 31 October 24

Space.com's image of the day rounds up the most awe-inspiring space photos right here, with a new image everyday.

A large bright streak of light across the star-studded background with the aurora borealis shining below as a ribbon of green light.

Taurid meteor shower 2024: When, where & how to see it

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated 31 October 24

Reference The Taurid meteor shower is composed of two streams known as the Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids. We explore this impressive shower in more detail here.

Spooky space: 12 haunting images of our cosmos

By Hanneke Weitering last updated 30 October 24

Here are some of the most spine-chilling space photos to scare your pants off this Halloween.

Entertainment

a cartoon cat in a glass astronaut helmet fights ghosts in front of a spooky tree

Fight space ghosts as an astronaut cat in spooky Halloween 2024 Google Doodle

By Samantha Mathewson published 31 October 24

Celebrate Halloween with a cosmic new Google Doodle, featuring an astronaut cat vanquishing creepy creatures across Earth's atmosphere.

Black Friday

6 reasons not to buy in the Black Friday sales

By Mina Frost published 29 October 24

While there are mistakes to avoid and reasons not to buy in the Black Friday sales, here's our advice to make the most of the shopping event.

four people, including a female astronaut in a white spacesuit, stand on a stand in front of a red curtain

Who's in your commercial? Capital One ad stars (unnamed) astronaut

By Robert Z. Pearlman published 29 October 24

A banker, an athlete and an astronaut walk onto a stage... No, that is not the setup for a joke, but rather the premise behind a new commercial starring a veteran NASA space traveler.

several meteors streak across the star-studded sky leaving long white trails across the night sky above a vegetated terrain.

Leonid meteor shower 2024: When, where and how to see it

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated 30 October 24

Reference The Leonid meteor shower is active between Nov. 3 and Dec. 2 and will peak on Nov. 16, producing up to 15 meteors per hour.

statement supports the giant impact hypothesis of the moon's formation

IMAGES

  1. Formation of the Moon. Giant-impact hypothesis. Big Splash. Impact

    statement supports the giant impact hypothesis of the moon's formation

  2. How The Moon Was Formed: The Giant Impact Hypothesis Explained

    statement supports the giant impact hypothesis of the moon's formation

  3. Formation of our Moon The Giant Impact Hypothesis

    statement supports the giant impact hypothesis of the moon's formation

  4. New Theory On Moon Formation Explained [Infographic]

    statement supports the giant impact hypothesis of the moon's formation

  5. giant impactor hypothesis explained

    statement supports the giant impact hypothesis of the moon's formation

  6. Simplistic representation of the Giant Impact…

    statement supports the giant impact hypothesis of the moon's formation

VIDEO

  1. Earth's Moon: Giant Impact Theory

  2. The Big Splash

  3. Plot Twist: Moon Formed Within Hours Instead of Millions of Years

  4. Lunar Origin: The Giant Impact.mov

  5. Earth's Moon: Giant Impact Theory

  6. How the Giant Impact Hypothesis Can Help Explain the Moon’s Formation #shorts

COMMENTS

  1. stars and the formation of the solar system Flashcards

    The statements below are all true. Some of them represent important reasons why the giant impact hypothesis for the Moon's formation is taken seriously, and some of them are not relevant to deciding between this and other hypotheses.

  2. Which statement supports the giant impact theory for the …

    According to the giant impact theory, the Moon formed when an object of the size of Mars and geologically similar to Earth (which was called Theia by scientifics) crashed into the primitive Earth. With this collision, vaporized pieces of the crust of the young Earth were thrown …

  3. How the Moon Formed: Lunar Rocks Support Giant …

    A new analysis of lunar rocks now supports the idea that the moon was born in a gigantic collision between the nascent Earth and a mysterious planet-size rock, scientists say.

  4. Research Advances in the Giant Impact Hypothesis of …

    Kegerreis et al. used high-resolution SPH simulations to indicate that the giant impact could directly form a satellite with compositions similar to the Moon, suggesting a rapid formation within a few hours of the giant impact.

  5. How The Moon Was Formed: The Giant Impact …

    This data, found in samples from deep inside the lunar mantle, 30 miles beneath the surface, supports a giant impact origin story. Furthermore, this reveals more about the mysterious Theia.

  6. Research Advances in the Giant Impact Hypothesis of …

    The Moon’s origin is a long-debated scientific question, and its unique characteristics have led to the widespread acceptance of the giant impact hypothesis as the dominant theory...