NASA has an Office of Planetary Protection. Its purpose is not to protect Earth from invasion by some green skinned monsters, but rather to protect the rest of the Universe from us.
How to Find Planets in the Shadows
There are astronomical methods that could allows us to see Earth-like worlds, and one of them is known as project Starshade.
Wish You Were Here
What’s striking about these images is how they have the feel of old vacation photographs. The kind you might find in your parent’s shoebox, or you might remember from your own trips.
The Edge of Wetness
The history of our search for water on Mars is a bit convoluted, and like many discoveries in science it has happened in small steps rather than a revolutionary discovery.
What Are Tholins?
Tholins are a broad class of complex organic molecules. They are typically formed when ultraviolet light strikes simple organic molecules such as methane.
Road Trip
A week-long road trip is bad enough, but imagine taking a trip for 18 months.
Call of the Void
It is a feeling both wondrous and terrifying. A realization that you are clinging to a rock in motion through the cosmos, and the feeling that the pull of the world might not be enough to hold you.
The Listeners
The Breakthrough Listen project, funded by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, will use radio and optical observatories to listen for messages from alien civilizations.
Perspective
Our view of the night sky connects us to the history of the cosmos.