Chauncey grew up on a farm in rural northern California. At 18 he ran away and saw the world with a backpack and a credit card, discovering that the true value of any point or mile is the experience ...

Discover the order of planets in the solar system. From Mercury to Neptune, explore our solar system and learn more about our cosmic home. The solar system is our cosmic neighborhood, made up of the ...

Here's a look at our solar system, from the scorching surface of Venus to the home of the largest volcano. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how ...

The location of the solar system's outer boundary is a point of contention among astronomers. There are three possible candidates, which "all have merit." But which one is best? When you purchase ...

Eleven objects found at the extremities of the solar system could mark the location of a 'Kuiper Belt 2.' When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how ...

This story appears in the July 2013 issue of National Geographic magazine. The dust speck had been plucked from the tail of a comet more than 200 million miles away. Now, under an electron microscope ...

And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Sometimes, if the night is dark and clear enough, you can look up and see the Milky Way in its arc across the sky.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University’s Seth Jacobson and colleagues in China and France have unveiled a new theory that could help solve a galactic mystery of how our solar system evolved.

The story of the birth of our solar system has been worn smooth through years of retelling. It starts billions of years ago with a black, slowly spinning cloud of gas and dust. The cloud collapses, ...

Our solar system is a weird place. Much more than a home to eight planets, it’s filled with a myriad of fascinating other smaller bodies, including moons, asteroids, and comets. In recent decades, ...

Having spent 30+ years in residential construction, contracting, remodeling, maintenance and home repair, Deane now contributes DIY, informational and financial content as a freelance writer and ...