Space Sciences

Theater Show
Tuesday, April 22 | 6:00 – 9:15 pm (program and screening)

The Martian

Join us for a special panel discussion on the mysteries of human adaptation in space, then watch the ultimate example in action, The Martian, on the IMAX Dome screen!
Event
April 22 – April 27

Massachusetts Space Week

Join The Space Consortium and the Center for Space Sciences at the Museum of Science for the kickoff of the 7th Edition of Massachusetts Space Week.
Video
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under 1 minute

What REALLY Happens When King Tides Hit Your Coast?

🌊 King tides are more than just big waves — they’re a glimpse into our future. On April 27, some coastal areas may flood due to extreme tides amplified by the moon's gravitational pull.
Theater Show
Tuesday, April 22, 4:30 pm

Undiscovered Worlds: Featuring Astrophysicist Sara Seager

Join us for a special presentation from astronomer and planetary scientist, Dr. Sara Seager, who will share how new achievements like the Kepler Telescope put us one step closer to the possibility of finding an Earth-like world.
Video
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under 1 minute

Run a Marathon in Space? Suni Williams did it!

Imagine running a marathon… in space. That’s exactly what astronaut Suni Williams did aboard the International Space Station in 2007.
Article

K2-18b Redux!

There was one space story that stood out this week, the tale of the Webb Telescope’s hunt into the atmosphere of the exoplanet K2-18b for gases that could serve as possible biosignatures. So let’s talk about what exactly it was that Webb found, what it...
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under 1 minute

NASA JWST Detects Possible Sign of Life

The James Webb Space Telescope might have just taken a huge step toward answering the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe? Talia Sepersky dives into Webb’s latest observations of exoplanet K2-18b.
Video
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under 1 minute

18 Meteors Per Hour! Lyrid Meteor Shower Lights Up the Sky

18 meteors per hour! The Lyrid Meteor Shower peaks April 21-22, and you might even catch a fireball—an extra-bright meteor that has been lighting up skies for 2,700 years!
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under 1 minute

First All-Female Space Crew Makes History with Blue Origin

For the first time ever, a completely female crew has launched into space — and it’s nothing short of iconic. Aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, this mission wasn’t just a technological feat — it was a cultural moment.
Article

Taking the Scenic Route: How to Get Places in the Solar System

Mercury is really hard to get to, but I haven't gone into a lot of detail as to why. So I’m gonna do it here instead! Come join me for a fun swim in the waters of solar system trajectories: why it’s hard to get almost anywhere and how we go about getting...
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under 1 minute

Micromoon is Here — How does it Compare to a Supermoon?

What Is a Micromoon? On April 12, the night sky will feature a special kind of full moon known as a micromoon — a full moon that appears smaller and dimmer than usual. But why does this happen?
Article

Planetary Profile: The Weirdness of Mercury

Mercury is weird. So for this, the 50th post in our Spacing Out blog, let’s lavish some attention on the planet that tends to get the least and get to know our littlest planet (don’t come at me, Pluto fiends) and all the ways in which it prefers to march...
Video
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under 1 minute

NASA Careers with a Disability: Engineering a More Inclusive Future

What if your greatest perceived limitation became your biggest strength? Dana Bolles, a trailblazing engineer at NASA, shares how she turned what many saw as a disadvantage into a driving force.
Article

The Mystery of Dark Energy

Feels like everywhere I turn in the last couple of weeks I’m seeing an article about dark energy. Dark energy is mostly defined by the fact that we have no idea what it is and are trying, puzzle piece by puzzle piece, to put together a picture of how it...
Article

Death of a Star: What Happens When Things Go Dark

This week came news of a study suggesting the possibility of explosive star deaths playing a role in some of Earth’s mass extinctions. It got me thinking about star deaths. There’s more than one way for a star to die, and it all comes down to the mass of...