Outer Space

During World War II, Executive Order 9066 authorized the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans (above: In Los Angeles in April 1942, dozens of families wait for a train to Manzanar War Relocation Center in Owens Valley, California).

Japanese American Artists Recall the Trauma of Wartime Incarceration

Smithsonian podcasts explore the legacy of Executive Order 9066 and the camera that almost didn’t make it to the Juno spacecraft launch

After returning to Earth, EpiPen solution sent into space showed no signs of containing epinephrine, the life-saving drug that reverses the effects of a severe allergic reaction.

Kids Discover That EpiPens May Not Work in Space

After returning from space, the life-saving drug epinephrine had partially changed into poisonous benzoic acid

Astronomers and musicians have developed “sonifications” to bring the symphony of the cosmos to a wider audience.

What Does the Universe Sound Like?

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and other researchers have melded astronomy and music to offer a new oeuvre

Time moves more quickly on the moon than on Earth because of gravity.

Space Officials Want a Time Zone for the Moon

Lunar timekeeping could help with navigation and communication, but experts say it will be difficult

Images of the six objects thought to be massive galaxies from the early universe

Webb Telescope Finds Evidence of Massive Galaxies That Defy Theories of the Early Universe

The six “universe breakers” appear much larger than what scientists thought was possible at that time

NASA’s Space Launch System sent the uncrewed Orion spacecraft into orbit around the moon in November 2022.

The Revolution in Moon Exploration

How Loud Was NASA's Artemis 1 Launch?

The Space Launch System rocket produced crackling sounds 40 million times louder than a bowl of Rice Krispies cereal in milk, researchers say

Whales are tricky to see from a satellite. Belugas, with their light skin standing out against the water, are a bit easier to spot.

Can Satellites Really Detect Whales From Space?

Distant identification of whales is improving rapidly, but finding the behemoth creatures is still surprisingly tricky

A revolutionary new tool, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and NASA, will monitor the chemistry and changing dynamics of major pollutants (above: an Arizona power generating station).

This Eye in the Sky Promises Major Insights Into the Air We Breathe

Launching in April, the satellite mission TEMPO will detect pollutants at a neighborhood scale across the nation

Artist's concept of a spacecraft that will test a nuclear thermal rocket engine.

Nuclear-Powered Rockets Might One Day Carry Astronauts to Mars

NASA and DARPA are building a nuclear thermal rocket engine that could slash the time it would take to reach the Red Planet

Sacha Jafri's We Rise Together—With the Light of the Moon is designed to endure on the moon’s surface.

Art Meets Science

One Small Step for Space Art

A new artwork by Sacha Jafri could travel to the moon next month

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie with some of the sample tubes it left on the Red Planet's surface using the camera at the end of its robotic arm.

Perseverance Rover Completes Depot of Mars Rock Samples

The collection is a failsafe for the Mars Sample Return project, which aims to deliver Martian rocks to Earth

A meteor streaks across the sky near Lone Pine, California, during the annual Perseid meteor shower in 2022.

Ten Dazzling Celestial Events to See in 2023

Stargazers can look forward to watching a rare comet, a super blue moon and several spectacular meteor showers

An orbital diagram shows that 2023 BU's trajectory (in red) passed closer to Earth on January 26, 2023 than the orbits of geosynchronous satellites (in green). 

An Asteroid Just Passed Very Close to Earth

The truck-sized space rock came within 2,200 miles of our planet, closer than some satellites

NASA has 42 current astronauts to select from for a possible mission to the moon.

How NASA Is Selecting the Next Astronauts to Walk on the Moon

The space agency has said that it will send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface

The 16.7-pound meteorite is thought to be an ordinary chondrite, the most common kind of space rock.

Researchers Find Rare 17-Pound Meteorite in Antarctic Ice

The polar desert is a prime zone for preserving space rocks dating back to our early solar system

The twilight sky as seen in Coonabarabran, Australia

Light Pollution Is Outshining Stars Faster Than Thought

The artificial glow threatens astronomy, migrating birds and human health

An unidentified aerial phenomenon captured by the U.S. Navy

More Than 350 New UFO Sightings Added to U.S. Government Records

Officials speculate these may include balloons, drones, airborne plastic bags or birds

A camera mounted on the Orion spacecraft captured the moon just in frame on December 4, 2022. NASA plans to use Orion as part of a mission to return astronauts to the lunar surface.

How Space Radiation Threatens Lunar Exploration

Scientists are studying the possible impacts of the hazard on astronauts who will travel to the moon

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) viewed through a telescope on December 24, 2022. It will reach its nearest point to Earth in early February.

Catch a Glimpse of a Rare Green Comet This Month

Skywatchers should be able to spot the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle with binoculars

The satellite reentered Earth's atmosphere at 11:04 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday.

NASA Satellite Falls Back to Earth After Almost 40 Years in Space

The reentry calls attention to the mission’s success and puts a spotlight on the dangers of space debris

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