Earth

Quite a few candles have been lit since NASA was born on Oct. 1, 1958. Here’s a quick look back at some highlights from six decades of exploration—and a glimpse of what’s ahead.

Tools that can quickly reveal a terrain’s chemistry and form will help astronauts explore new worlds.

Did somebody say space laser? NASA is set to launch ICESat-2, our most advanced laser instrument of its kind, into orbit around Earth on Sept. 15.

To most of us, dust is an annoyance. But these tiny particles that float about and settle on surfaces play an important role across the solar system.

When you see these prominent features of Ceres, you might recognize some of their Earthly cousins.

A new study uses Earth as a stand-in for an exoplanet and shows that even with very little light -- as little as one pixel -- it is still possible to measure key characteristics of distant worlds.

A new multiagency report outlines how the U.S. could become better prepared for near-Earth objects—asteroids and comets whose orbits come within 30 million miles of Earth—otherwise known as NEOs.

Asteroid 2018 LA entered Earth’s atmosphere at about 9:44 a.m. PDT (12:44 p.m. EDT, 16:44 UTC), and later disintegrated in the upper atmosphere near Botswana, Africa.

NASA and its partners are blending ocean and space exploration, with a project called SUBSEA, short for Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog. Lessons learned in both fields will be mutually beneficial and could help design future science-focused missions across the solar system.

There are over 3,700 planets in our galaxy. Spend Memorial Day barbecuing it up on any of these alien worlds.

Scheduled to launch no earlier than May 22, the twin satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission will continue the work of monitoring changes in the world's water cycle and surface mass.

Every time you take a breath of fresh air, it’s easy to forget you can safely do so because of Earth’s atmosphere. What makes the atmosphere special, and how do other planets’ atmospheres compare?

Scientists working with NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft have uncovered a new type of magnetic event in our near-Earth environment.

Every day, all over the world, enthusiastic amateurs are making discoveries and valuable contributions—no fancy degrees or resumes needed.

Fifty years ago, with President Kennedy’s Moon landing deadline looming, the powerful Saturn V had to perform. And perform it did—hurling 24 humans to the Moon.

This year, NASA will launch two satellite missions that will increase our understanding of Earth’s frozen reaches. This week’s #10Things is all about ice.

Glowing in mostly purple and green colors, a new celestial phenomenon is sparking the interest of scientists, photographers and astronauts.

Whether you're doing it for the nerd cred or the pie, this week on #10Things, we've got all the ways you can celebrate #PiDay with NASA.

Inspiring views of our solar system and beyond.

SDO’s eclipse season is a three-week period that comes twice a year near the equinoxes during which Earth blocks SDO’s view of the Sun for a short while each day.

As part of an engineering test, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured this image of the Earth and Moon using its NavCam1 imager on January 17 from a distance of 39.5 million miles (63.6 million km)

Explorer 1, launched 60 years ago today (Jan. 31, 1958) was the first U.S. satellite and the first ever to make a scientific discovery in space.

NASA’s Day of Remembrance recognizes astronauts who have perished in the efforts to advance the nation’s reach into space. It’s also a day to reflect on how to keep future astronauts safe and the need to remain vigilant on safety.

Sixty years ago next week, the launch of Explorer 1 marked the beginning of U.S. spaceflight, as well as the scientific exploration of space.

The Moon became a key focus point for NASA in 2017, whether it was blocking out the Sun during one of the most-viewed events in U.S. history, or reinvigorating the agency’s human space exploration plans.