An astronomer explains why space looks so dark despite containing 200 billion trillion stars.
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Articles on Outer space
Displaying 21 - 40 of 46 articles
Measuring the ages of planets and stars is tricky. An observational astrophysicist describes the subtle clues that provide good estimates for how old different space objects are.
Liftoff to the distant asteroid is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2023 – the beginning of a six-year journey to one of the most unusual objects in the solar system.
If an astronaut were to die on Mars, neither cremation nor burial would be good options.
Regional development isn’t just about measuring the difference between today’s haves and have-nots to determine whether that gap might narrow or widen. Our idea of what is fair changes over time.
Internet access opens up the world in many ways.
A new publication clarifies how existing legal frameworks apply to space exploration and development. The McGill Manual also highlights the catastrophic implications of conflict in space.
Our reliance on space infrastructure means that conflict in space would have global catastrophic consequences. But a recent declaration by the United States provides hope.
The dwarf planets in our Solar System are cold, dark, far away and full of surprises.
The vastly differing environment would need a whole new approach to disposing of dead bodies.
Billions of galaxies are in the universe, with billions of stars in every galaxy. Could billions of planets be out there too?
Astronomers know a lot about what’s in outer space – and think it’s possible it never ends.
Several current programs aim at sending humans back to the Moon. What would be the purpose, and what are the real prospects?
Space mining might be closer than you think. But legal issues about the ownership of space resources must be urgently addressed to avoid space wars over natural resources.
Martian meteorites allow scientists here on Earth to decode that planet’s geology, more than a decade before the first missions are scheduled to bring rocks back home from Mars.
The distance between the ISS and Earth is the same as about 3,850 football fields. To bring the station down, rockets will lower it a bit, and then gravity will send it crashing the rest of the way.
Australia is a member of the 1979 Moon Treaty, which sets rules for resource extraction from outer space. Now that the Trump administration is eyeing moon mining, will Australian companies join in?
Tomanowos, aka the Willamette Meteorite, may be the world’s most interesting rock. Its story includes catastrophic ice age floods, theft of Native American cultural heritage and plenty of human folly.
The space industry and global interest in all matters inter-planetary is growing.
There are probably more than a million planets in the universe for every single grain of sand on Earth. That’s a lot of planets. My guess is that there probably is life elsewhere in the Universe.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University
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Researcher, Air and Space Law, McGill University
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Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Space Science, University of Birmingham
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Professor of History, University of Warwick
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Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge
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Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of St Andrews
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Honorary Research Fellow, Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow
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Professor in the Sociology of Law, University of Oslo
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Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland
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Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape
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Australian Government Women in STEM Ambassador, Professor of Practice, UNSW Sydney
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PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Robotics, Head of Centre for Robotics Research, King's College London
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Professeur de physique - Physics professor, Université Paris Cité
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Doctoral Candidate, Institute of Air & Space Law, McGill University
