Solar System
Explore Solar System
Latest about Solar System
Sun fires off X-class solar flare, increasing aurora viewing chances into weekend
By Meredith Garofalo published
The sun unleashed an X1.3-class solar flare on Thursday (Sept. 12), increasing the likelihood of widespread auroras this weekend.
What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2024
By Tariq Malik last updated
Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2024.
NASA's Juno probe spots massive new volcano on Jupiter moon Io
By Andrew Jones published
Researchers have spotted a huge new active volcano on Jupiter's moon Io by comparing images taken by two NASA missions more than a quarter of a century apart.
What's behind the Martian methane mystery?
By Paul Sutter published
The cause of mysterious methane spikes on Mars may be a strange form of alien life — or it may just be interesting chemistry. Either way, something odd is happening on the Red Planet.
Mystery of dwarf planet Ceres' origin may finally be solved, thanks to retired NASA spacecraft
By Robert Lea published
Was Ceres born in the main asteroid belt, or did it migrate there from the outer solar system? The answer is buried in data from NASA's Dawn spacecraft.
A long-lost moon could explain Mars' weird shape and extreme terrain
By Paul Sutter published
A long-lost moon could explain why Mars is so different from the other rocky planets in the solar system.
7 years ago today, the sun unleashed a record-breaking solar flare
By Ryan French published
As August 2024 set another 20-year high for sunspots, recent solar flares have yet to top two solar flares from September 2017 that still hold unbroken records.
The moon might still have active volcanoes, China's Chang'e 5 sample-return probe reveals
By Keith Cooper published
The moon could still be volcanically active today, according to samples brought to Earth by China's Chang'e 5 mission in December 2020.
Get the Space.com Newsletter
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!