First Encounter
The New Horizons spacecraft is closing in on Pluto, with its closest approach scheduled for July 14, as depicted in…
Dark Planet
Mercury, the Sun’s innermost planet, is one of the darkest major bodies in the solar system. It reflects less than…
Best Shot
The New Horizons spacecraft snapped this view of Pluto (bottom) and its largest moon, Charon (top) from a range of…
The Homunculus
The near-death of a massive star created this vast peanut-shaped cloud of gas and dust, known as the Homunculus Nebula.…
First Eyes on Mars
Mariner 4 became the first spacecraft to visit Mars when it flew within 6,000 miles of the planet’s surface on…
Getting Wet
The Cassini spacecraft will take a quick shower on October 28, when it flies through the plumes of water and…
Fiery Sky
A brilliant aurora blazes high in Earth’s atmosphere in this photo from the International Space Station. An aurora forms when…
Bright Future
A burned-out Earth bakes in the heat of the red-giant Sun in this illustration depicting our planet’s bright, hot future.…
Underground Astronomy
Scientists look for the most elusive particles in the universe in underground laboratories, such as this one adjacent to an…
Former Neighbor
A system known as Scholz’s Star passes just 0.8 light-years from the Sun as seen in this artist’s concept. That…