Phil Plait

Bad Astronomy

Snapshots from Space

Oort Cloud

The entirely theoretical cloud of icy space debris marks the frontiers of our solar system. 

Mysteries of the Oort Cloud at the Edge of Our Solar System

Grissom gives the thumbs-up to Hunt Club 1 in this stacked, enhanced image during recovery operations. The dye from the dye marker canister is also visible in the surrounding waters.
(Credit: NASA/Andy Saunders. Source: Stephen Slater)


Picture8 (1)

Sixty years later, we present a plausible explanation for one of the most enduring mysteries of the space race.

Did Static Electricity — Not Gus Grissom — Blow the Hatch of the Liberty Bell 7 Spacecraft?

(Credit: Luca Bindi and Paul J. Steinhardt)

Red trinitite

Scientists once thought their structures impossible. Now, the discovery of the oldest man-made quasicrystal could expand the world of nuclear forensics.

The First Atomic Bomb Created This ‘Forbidden’ Quasicrystal 

Close-up of 3D microscopic blue bacteria

Microbes are really good at eating a range of substances, so humans are putting them to work cleaning up our messes — and our art. 

The Secret Cleaning Power of Bacteria

close up of dog nose yellow background - shutterstock

Researchers don't always know how the dogs get the job done — but they know how to train them.

How Do Dogs Sniff Out Diseases?

beach reading a book - shutterstock 615571835

Learn about a little-known disease that affects 300,000 people in the U.S. alone — or catch up on the science and history of air conditioning and refrigerants. And don't miss a podcast series about what wildfires mean for the West and beyond.

Science Books to Read Next: The Hidden Threat of Kissing Bug Disease and the Climate Costs of Staying Cool

Snapshots from Space

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