Five diagrams of the surface of the moon, during its phases. Aquatint after Galileo Galilei

1610: Dawn of the Extraterrestrial

Galileo's telescopic view of the Moon sparked a giant transformation in the way human beings thought about the natural world.
Buzz Aldrin and the U.S. Flag on the Moon

Should the Moon Landing Site Be a National Historic Landmark?

Some archaeologists argue it’s essential to preserve the history of lunar exploration. But would it represent a claim of U.S. sovereignty over the moon?
dark side of the moon

What Awaits on the Dark Side of the Moon?

An unmanned Chinese probe will be exploring the moon's far side in 2018. The side that faces away from the earth differs significantly from the familiar face of the moon. So why are the two sides so different?
Great Moon Hoax Sun

How the Sun Conned the World With “The Great Moon Hoax”

The birth of the penny press, the first mass media, was very much mixed up with fake news, including the Great Moon Hoax of 1835.
Robert Goddard at chalkboard

Robert H. Goddard, the Forgotten Father of Rocketry

Robert H. Goddard is acknowledged by many as the "father" of rocketry, but it's a strange paternity since he had so little influence on his contemporaries.
Hevelius map

Where Did the Moon Come From?

Despite years of study, it is only since the 1980s that a theory of the moon's origin has coalesced.
Buzz Aldrin with equipment on the moon

What the Space Race Left Behind

How should the artifacts of the space race be preserved?