Did the Eclipse Give You the Amateur Astronomy Bug? Here’s How to Get Started
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, a professional astronomer, talks about her own adventures in astrophotography—and offers tips and tricks for new amateur astronomers.
Stories by Clara Moskowitz
Clara Moskowitz is a senior editor at Scientific American, where she covers astronomy, space, physics and mathematics. She has been at Scientific American for a decade; previously she worked at Space.com. Moskowitz has reported live from rocket launches, space shuttle liftoffs and landings, suborbital spaceflight training, mountaintop observatories, and more. She has a bachelor's degree in astronomy and physics from Wesleyan University and a graduate degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
A Veteran Eclipse Chaser Explains the Thrill of Totality
Kate Russo has seen 13 total solar eclipses, and even she isn't ready for this one.
The Solar Eclipse Is Almost Here! Everything You Need to Know
Here’s how to pick a viewing spot, stay on top of the weather and pack the right gear to see the total solar eclipse on April 8
It’s Not Just You: Three Times Eclipses Left Scientists ‘More or Less Agog’
Total solar eclipses have set the stage for major scientific advancements—everything from the discovery of helium to the testing of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
These Cold War–Era Jets Will Chase the Eclipse to Uncover the Sun’s Mysteries
A team of researchers has an ambitious plan to capture the 2024 total solar eclipse like never before.
See Every Bit of Outer Space We’ve Brought Back to Earth
Sample-return missions have brought piles of moon rocks, plus pieces of asteroids, comets and even the sun back to Earth. Next up is the big prize: Mars
The Great Debate: Could We Ever Travel through Time?
Our space and physics editors go head-to-head over a classic mind-bending question.
How April's Eclipse Will Solve Solar Mysteries
Experiments planned for the 2024 total solar eclipse aim to figure out how the sun works.
Without the Moon, Human Society Might Not Exist
The moon helps us keep time, inspires religions and shapes science, yet it still keeps secrets from us.
See Your Body’s Cells in Size and Number
The larger a cell type is, the rarer it is in the body—and vice versa—a new study shows
Can We Even Have Babies in Space? Why We’re Not Ready for Life Off-Planet
Reproducing in space is just one of many reasons we should delay settlements beyond Earth
See How Humans around the World Spend the 24 Hours in a Day
A new study calculated the average “global human day,” revealing which activities take up most of our time
The Most Surprising Discoveries in Physics
Experts weigh in on the most shocking, paradigm-shifting and delightful findings in the history of physics
Pebbles from an Asteroid Are about to Be Delivered to Earth, and It’s Totally Awesome
The OSIRIS-REx mission will return samples from the asteroid Bennu that could rewrite our solar system’s history
The Weirdest Particles in the Universe
Neutrinos are bizarre and ubiquitous and may just break the rules of physics
Scientists Solve Star Spin Mystery
Magnetic fields help to explain why some stars are spinning more slowly than astronomers thought they should
Is Time Travel Even Possible?
Two SciAm editors duke it out to see if wormholes and multiverses could in fact exist.
Citizen Science Art Showcases Jupiter’s Beauty
Jupiter shines in images made by citizen scientists using data from NASA’s Juno probe
Dog Genetics Reveal Surprising Relationships among Breeds
When it comes to dog traits, genetics-based lineages are more telling than human-made categories
A Mission to Jupiter’s Strange Moons Is Finally on Its Way
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) and Europa Clipper missions will search for signs of habitability on three of Jupiter’s potentially ocean-bearing moons.
The Science of Melting Chocolate
Researchers used an artificial tongue to understand how chocolate changes from a solid to a smooth emulsion
Cosmos, Quickly: Remembering the Genius of Vera Rubin
Vera Rubin went from a teenager with a cardboard telescope to the “mother of dark matter.” Some of her colleagues and mentees weigh in on her fascinating life and how she was a champion for women in astronomy.
Space Force Humor, Laser Dazzlers, and the Havoc a War in Space Would Actually Wreak
In the inaugural episode of Cosmos, Quickly, we blast off with Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno of the Space Force, who is charged with protecting our space in space, particularly from Russia and China.
Tiny Bubbles of Primordial Soup Re-create Early Universe
New experiments can re-create the young cosmos, when it was a mash of fundamental particles, more precisely than ever before