Latest News
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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Skywatching & Cameras Editor
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Search For Life
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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VIDEO
COMMENTS
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.
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 …
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.
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.
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.
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...