Space

Some of the most basic building blocks of the solar system are missing from one of its most dangerous asteroids.

Moon rock collected on the last Apollo mission is revealing more about one of the Moon’s most unusual structures.

A gap in a distant cloud has allowed astronomers to peek inside a developing solar system.

The first samples returned from the far side of the Moon suggest it's 10-100 times drier than the side nearer Earth.

It’s been more than half a century since humans last walked on the Moon, but we’re on the verge of doing so again.

A previously unknown rock type at the new Mars rover landing site is revealing more about the red planet.

A school science experiment is answering questions that are out of this world.

With targets spanning the birth and death of stars, the James Webb Space Telescope is set to give us our clearest view of the universe so far. 

The Ryugu sample is some of the most pristine material from the solar system.

Dating back to over 13 billion years ago, HD1 could have formed shortly after the Big Bang, with properties unlike any modern galaxy. 

Black holes could make up as much as 1% of all known matter, and may be the building blocks of the largest and most powerful objects in the entire universe.

Rocks with the potential to hold fossils of Martian life have been identified by NASA's Perseverance rover. 

Martian meteorites can tell us a lot about our neighbour.

Discovering the largest Winchcombe meteorite in a field of sheep poo.

Professor Caroline Smith sheds light on the secrets this rock holds about the formation of our own planet.

Falling from the sky in a blaze of glory, meteorites certainly know how to make an entrance, and the stories they tell span the history of our solar system.

A handy FAQ about meteorites, meteors and other small celestial bodies that Earth encounters in its travels around the Sun. 

When an unusual rock fell to Earth in 1795, it prompted the first large-scale investigation into the origin of meteorites.

Putting Martian meteorites in a nuclear reactor has confirmed their curiously young age.

Analyses of three meteorites suggest that the raw material for the origin of life may have formed in space.

Our planetary scientist Dr Ashley King shares his tips on how to get the best view.

There’s a lot of myths floating around about space. Our planetary scientist is here to separate fact from fiction.

Space isn’t a totally empty void, but only 5% of the entire universe is normal, visible matter.

Discover what causes the colourful lights of the aurora borealis.

It’s not easy to observe space from the middle of a big city, but it’s possible. Here’s how.

Anyone can capture the majesty of the galaxy with a simple camera. All you need is a dark, clear night and the willingness to have a go.

A supermoon appears larger and brighter in the night sky. How often does this happen and why? Find out all about this phenomenon.

Gibbous moons really don't get the attention they deserve.

Here's how to view a lunar eclipse - and when the next one will be visible from your location.

Discover how solar eclipses happen, when the next one is and how you can watch safely.

Before the Earth and Moon, there was proto-Earth and Theia. Professor Sara Russell explains the story of Earth’s closest companion.

Weeping trees, teeth stronger than Kevlar and one of Earth's most spectacular natural events are all shaped by the Moon.

Discover how a surface mottled with dark patches reveals the Moon's volcanic past.

While the plants flowered, lunar soils negatively affected their growth, meaning there is still some way to go until farming on the Moon becomes a viable prospect.

The Natural History Museum cares for the only piece of Apollo 17 Moon rock gifted to the UK, but our connection with NASA’s missions goes back to Apollo 11.

The mystery of blue Moons lies in the ashes of volcanic eruptions.

Moon dust can be used to create the materials needed to explore space.

A new lunar meteorite has joined the Museum's collection. The sample, weighing 147 grammes, will help researchers' studies into the origin and early evolution of the Moon.

Explore facts about the biggest and hottest object in the solar system.

Explore facts about Mercury, our solar system's fastest planet.

Discover facts about Venus, the planet closest to Earth.

A distinctive blue and green image of Earth reveals our planet's most remarkable features.

Explore facts about this small but mighty celestial body. 

Explore facts about Mars, the red planet.

Giant auroras, raging clouds and a storm three centuries in the making - Jupiter is every bit as dramatic as its appearance suggests.

Discover Jupiter’s icy moon and uncover why scientists believe it could be home to extraterrestrial life.

Blue skies on a golden planet, and two of our solar system's greatest extremes – Saturn is a planet of contrasts and surprises.

Cold, dark and windswept - despite its calm appearance, the ice giant Uranus is a planet of extremes.

Our solar system's outermost planet may be last but it's certainly not least. Get the facts on this planet of extremes. 

A blue atmosphere, smooth areas, and youthful mountain ranges - this dwarf planet is full of surprises. 

Life has found very clever ways to survive in the most extreme places.

By studying how organisms survive and thrive on Earth, scientists have identified key ingredients that appear to be essential for life.

Millions of pieces of human-caused debris are orbiting Earth. But are they an issue, and what can we do about them?

Blast off on an adventure around the galleries that are out of this world.  

The prime suspect in the extinction of the dinosaurs was no ordinary asteroid.

New research into the Sun's magnetism could make solar storms easier to predict.

Welcome to the next era of natural history collections. 

NASA’s Perseverance rover may have discovered organic molecules on the surface of Mars.

The asteroids 28994 Helenabates and 31551 Ashleyking are part of the main asteroid belt, a collection of rocky debris left over from the solar system’s beginning.

As light pollution continues to increase around the world, the stars above Ynys Enlli remain much as our ancestors would have seen them.

While its impacts are uncertain, it could have caused the world to warm significantly.

This is the first rock sample ever to be collected from the red planet.

A meteorite from the birth of the solar system could tell us more about how life flourished on Earth.

A gas has been found in the clouds of Venus that could have been created by microbes.

Discover how a meteorite fragment in the Museum collection hid a secret about the origins of our solar system.

Museum geologists investigate Iceland's volcanic landscape, and ask whether life could have formed under similar conditions on Mars.

Where will the rover land, and will it find life on Mars?

A satellite has revealed ancient Martian rivers in more detail than ever before.

To help us tell fact from science fiction, scientists and engineers involved in the ExoMars 2020 program discuss the latest on the search for life on Mars.

Dr Aderin-Pocock talks us through asteroid sample return missions, and what experts are doing to prevent a space rock hitting Earth.

Growing up in the Apollo era of the seventies, Prof Sara Russell fantasised about working on space missions.

A meteorite sample from the Museum collection is revealing more about how and when the crust of the Red Planet formed.