A serendipitous solar outburst let scientists point the robot’s cameras toward the Red Planet’s sky to spot a feature shared with our Blue Marble.

Don Pettit brought a photographer’s eye to orbit, capturing the artistry of the cosmos and our planet.

Kosmos-482, a spacecraft bound for Venus in 1972, was a time capsule from the Cold War when superpowers had broad ambitions for exploring the solar system.A cutaway diagram of the Venera 8 landing capsule, which launched at about the same time as Kosmos...

Kosmos-482, which was headed to Venus, is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere by the end of this weekend. Experts don’t yet know where it may come down.An artist’s concept of a Soviet spacecraft on the surface of Venus.

The Eta Aquarids will reach their peak Monday night into Tuesday morning.Halley’s comet over Easter Island in 1986. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is the result of debris from Halley’s tail.