Life's Little Mysteries Space Archives
How Was the Solar System Formed?
August 19 , 2010, by Molika Ashford, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
Scientists aren't completely sure how the solar system formed, but most agree the best explanation is that a cloud of molecules collapsed inward on itself, forming our solar system about 4.6 billion years… View Full Article »
FAQ: How Do Astronauts Take Spacewalks?
August 6 , 2010, by Clara Moskowitz, Senior Writer
From EVAs to EMUs, spacewalks are a tricky business. Here are some frequently asked questions.
What is a spacewalk (and what's an EVA)?
When astronauts leave the protective confines of a spacecraft –… View Full Article »
What's Hyperspace?
July 26 , 2010, by Zoe Macintosh, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Hyperspace is the premise that it's possible to travel at speeds faster than that of light when energy from other dimensions is harnessed, and is an idea much used by science fictions writers.
"If Captain… View Full Article »
Why Do Rockets Launch from Florida?
July 23 , 2010, by Karen Rowan, LifesLittleMysteries Managing Editor
Sixty years ago this week, Florida's "Space Coast" was born with the launch of a rocket called Bumper 8 on July 24, 1960, from what was then called Long Range Proving Ground Base on Cape Canaveral.
Today,… View Full Article »
What's at the Center of the Milky Way?
July 21 , 2010, by Kristina Grifantini
If you look up on a dark, clear night, away from city lights, you may see a wide band of faint light stretching above you, stiller than a cloud and glittering with densely packed stars. Translated from… View Full Article »
What Are Sunspots?
July 21 , 2010, by Benjamin Radford, Life's Little Mysteries Contributor
For most of us, the idea of spots on the sun seems a bit odd. After all, the sun is that intensely bright and hot star in the heavens, and doesn’t seem like something that would be likely to have spots… View Full Article »
What's an Exoplanet?
July 20 , 2010, by Kristina Grifantini
An exoplanet, or extrasolar planet, is a planet located outside our solar system, orbiting around a star other than our Sun. They range from gaseous giants 60 times the mass of Jupiter that whip around… View Full Article »
What Are Supernovas and What Do Scientists Learn from Them?
July 13 , 2010, by Lauren Cox
Burning a billion times brighter than our sun, the phenomena called supernovas have unlocked mysteries about black holes, the origin of metals such as gold and the expansion of the universe.
Supernovas… View Full Article »
What's a Solar Eclipse?
June 29 , 2010, by Denise Chow, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
Hopefully, the latest installment of "The Twilight Saga" won't "eclipse" nature's phenomenon of the same name. While vampires and werewolves duke it out on the silver screen, some skywatchers will be able… View Full Article »
What Causes the Aurora?
June 23 , 2010, by Remy Melina, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer
The aurora lights have dazzled and mystified human civilizations for centuries. The psychedelic light show is the natural result of fast-moving particles from the sun entering the Earth's outer atmosphere.
Once… View Full Article »
