References

The James Webb Space Telescope, WFIRST, Hubble, and hundreds of other missions sprang from or have close connections to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

This springtime constellation can be seen chasing the Big Dipper around the northern sky.

Armstrong was the first human to step foot on the moon. He was also an accomplished engineer, test pilot and astronaut.

Innovation or menace?

Venus is the brightest planet in our solar system, has a hellish atmosphere, and is covered in volcanoes. Learn more about planet Venus here.

A supreme blast of energy.

How planets trap heat like a greenhouse.

Few know the globe's nooks and crannies more intimately than Kathryn Sullivan — explorer and student of the sky and the sea.

Learn about the phases of the moon and when you can see them.

SpaceX is a pioneering private spaceflight company that's been sending NASA's cargo to the space station since 2012.

The Geminids come from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, but scientists are still trying to figure out exactly how it sheds enough debris to produce the bright meteor shower.

Perseus is one of the largest constellations and is home to one of the most famous stars in our sky.

The Leonids take place every year in November. Once a generation, it is possible for a storm of meteors to occur with a peak of about 1,000 an hour – or even more.

McDonald Observatory, in West Texas, represents eight decades of progress in telescope technology and offers an extensive menu of public programs.

Flying at the very tip-top of Earth's atmosphere, SOFIA has almost as clear a view as space-based telescopes.

Are planetary burps to blame?

The Yerkes Observatory is more than 120 years old and is most known for contributing to discoveries about stellar motion and cartography.

Home to the largest fully steerable telescope in the world, Green Bank Observatory has a long history of leading the world in radio astronomy.

Some think it could be an extraterrestrial spacecraft — but is it?