Space & Physics

Everything in the universe may be preordained, according to physics

Veteran spacefarer Don Pettit is set to launch this summer on a half-year mission to the International Space Station to perform novel science experiments, snap unique orbital photos, and much more

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser is set to make its inaugural trip to orbit to deliver supplies to the International Space Station

The same massive sunspot cluster that gave Earth multiple nights of stunning aurora displays has now produced the largest flare of the current solar cycle

Letters to the editors for the February 2024 issue of Scientific American

Deepfake images, a delayed spaceflight, the troubles with space junk and a blast from our past.

A giant sunspot cluster rivaling the one that caused the Carrington Event in 1859 could trigger a cannibal coronal mass ejection. But this is unlikely to cause major problems

An exploding star is a catastrophe on a cosmic scale, but here on Earth we’re safe from such astral disasters—for now

Milestone observations from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal signs of an atmosphere on the inhospitably hot super-Earth 55 Cancri e

Alien worlds that glow like lightbulbs or harbor molten-rock rain are revealing planets’ profound cosmic diversity—and pointing the way toward finding those that truly resemble our own familiar Earth

The far side of the moon holds the keys to the future of radio astronomy. We must maintain its pristine silence to benefit everyone

After the spectacular success of the first-ever “Marscopter,” mission planners have soaring ambitions for follow-up flying machines