Sciencing: Daily content for curious minds

Scientists Sealed People In A Space Station Simulation For 240 Days, Then Something Went Wrong

staff@sciencing.com (Daniel Meagher) — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:25:00 +0000

Space is a dangerous place, not least because there's nowhere to go, that's why even disastrous experiments can sometimes be viewed as a success.

The 16 Coolest Images From NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

staff@sciencing.com (Tiffany Betts) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:25:00 +0000

The James Webb Space Telescope allows astronomers to see into the far reaches of the universe, but it's also provided some of the most stunning views of space.

NASA Crashed A Spacecraft Into An Asteroid. Scientists Didn't Expect What Happened Next

staff@sciencing.com (George Hale) — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:25:00 +0000

Sometimes you do a thing just to see what happens afterwards, such is the case of NASA's DART mission which launched a spacecraft into an asteroid.

Astronauts Can Lose Their Fingernails In Outer Space. Here's Why

staff@sciencing.com (Elaine Todd) — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 19:25:00 +0000

Space travel has been shown to have strange long-term effects on the human body, but more mundane, physical stressors can also cause damage in their own way.

Scientists And Historians Explain The Mysterious Death Myth About Eclipses

staff@sciencing.com (Elaine Todd) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:25:00 +0000

Nowadays, we know how eclipses work, but in the past, they were rather mysterious events that became associated with some especially bad omens.

In 1969, Lightning Struck Apollo 12 Twice After Liftoff. One Obscure Switch Saved The Mission

staff@sciencing.com (Pauli Poisuo) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:25:00 +0000

When undertaking human spaceflight, safety is the most important issue, which is why you generally want to avoid getting struck by lightning.

In The '90s, Scientists Launched A Probe To Saturn's Moon; What They Found Was Unexpected

staff@sciencing.com (Elias Nash) — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:25:00 +0000

Saturn has hundreds of moons, but when we sent a probe there in the 1990s, only one of them was worthy to have a lander sent to its surface.

King Harald Died 22 Minutes After A Lunar Eclipse Peaked. An Ancient Belief Makes The Timing Even Eerier

staff@sciencing.com (Tiffany Betts) — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:25:00 +0000

The beloved monarch of Norway, King Harald V, has passed away, but his passing occurred suspiciously close to the peak of a partial lunar eclipse.

Six People Were Sealed In A Simulated Spacecraft For 520 Days, Then Scientists Found Something In Their Poop

staff@sciencing.com (George Hale) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:25:00 +0000

Space is known to have physical effects on the human body, but even simulated space travel was found to have a notable effect on astronauts' guts.

Not Black Holes, Not Dark Matter: Scientists Say This Mystery Is Even Stranger

staff@sciencing.com (George Hale) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:25:00 +0000

The universe is full of non-intuitive natural phenomena that we've been able to see or detect, but some theories still defy easy explanation.

In The '60s, The US Launched Millions Of Needles Into Space & Didn't Expect What Happened Next

staff@sciencing.com (Elias Nash) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 16:25:00 +0000

The Cold War saw many attempts at strange experiments, including this controversial plan to use space-bound needles to help facilitate Earthly communications.

In The Early 2000s, NASA Sent Salmonella Into Space. They Didn't Expect What Happened Next.

staff@sciencing.com (Elias Nash) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 16:25:00 +0000

Space has odd effects on the human body, but it also happens to affect bacteria, too. And, as NASA discovered, those changes aren't exactly promising.

Scientists Say The Black Fungi Feeding On Chernobyl's Ruins Could Solve An Important Problem For Space Travel

staff@sciencing.com (Robin Oliverio) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:25:00 +0000

The nuclear disaster in Chernobyl unintentionally created a very unique ecosystem -- one which made fungi just as well suited for space as they are for Earth.

The Mesmerizing Full Moon Phenomenon You Can Experience In August

staff@sciencing.com (Tiffany Betts) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:25:00 +0000

The full moon has been an object of fascination for all of human history, and August's full moon is no exception. Here's what you need to know about it.

The Sound Astronauts Can't Make In Space

staff@sciencing.com (George Hale) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 17:25:00 +0000

Though sound and space don't usually mix, an astronaut did find himself surprised when he couldn't make this common sound while in his space suit.

Science Fiction Vs. Fact: Quantum Mechanics And Interstellar's Message To The Past

staff@sciencing.com (Daniel Meagher) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 14:25:00 +0000

Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar' gave the world an exciting look at the cutting edge of cosmology, but how accurate was its science really?

Scientists Thought The Sun's Death Would End The World – A New Study Says Otherwise

staff@sciencing.com (George Hale) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:25:00 +0000

Scientists have assumed that the sun would swallow the earth whole near the end of its life, but a closer look at the physics seems to imply otherwise.

The Halley's Comet Doomsday Prediction Of 1910 Never Happened – But What If It Had?

staff@sciencing.com (George Hale) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:25:00 +0000

In 1910, Earth passed so close to Halley's Comet that people feared the two would collide. They clearly never did, and humanity avoided potential catastrophe.

Why Space Travel Can Make The Human Body Age Faster

staff@sciencing.com (George Hale) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:25:00 +0000

Older astronauts have been setting records of late, but space itself can also cause accelerated aging in ways that scientists are hoping to better understand.

Science Fiction Vs. Fact: Surviving On The Red Planet In The Martian

staff@sciencing.com (Pauli Poisuo) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:25:00 +0000

There's plenty of interest surrounding human colonies on Mars, and "The Martian" is a rather accurate representation of how life on Mars could look.