The name is a Dad Joke. The mission is serious.
Bringing theUniverseDown to Earth
Inspiring curiosity. Expanding knowledge. Connecting people with the wonders of our universe.
Our Mission
Our mission is to make the wonders of the universe accessible to everyone through education, outreach, and community. We bring the excitement of space and astronomy down to Earth, inspiring learners of all ages to ask questions, seek answers, and see their place in the cosmos.
Podcast Episodes
Conversations about the universe, science, and our place in it.
TODAY’S UNIVERSE
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
October 27, 2026
Noctilucent Clouds over Sweden
Explanation: Sometimes it's night on the ground but day in the air. As the Earth rotates to eclipse the Sun, sunset rises upfrom the ground. Therefore, at sunset on the ground, sunlight still shines on clouds above. Under usual circumstances, a pretty sunset might be visible, but unusual noctilucent clouds float so high up they…
View on NASA APOD →Astronomy Resources
Updates, articles, and educational materials from our team.
Astronomy News
The latest from NASA, ESA, JPL, and all corners of the galaxy.
NASA
NASA’s Perseverance Views Dust at Neretva Vallis
Description This 360-degree look at Neretva Vallis within Mars’ Jezero Crater was stitched together using 217 images acquired by the rover’s Mastcam-Z…
Oct 26, 2026
Space.com
Analog astronauts: How living underwater can prepare humans for space missions
How living underwater can prepare humans for space missions
Oct 26, 2026
Sky & Telescope
A Satellite Company Tested “Sunlight As A Service” — Without Astronomers’ Knowledge
The California demonstration by Reflect Orbital used spotlights to imitate sunlight-reflecting satellites. The post A Satellite Company Tested…
Oct 26, 2026
YOUR PLACE IN THE STARS
Find Your Birthday Star
Enter your birth date and we’ll match your age to the distance of a nearby star. If you are 42 years old, for example, we look for a star close to 42 light-years away—so the light reaching Earth now began its journey at roughly the time you were born.
Calculated age: —
Why it works: a light-year is a distance—the distance light travels in one year. A star 30 light-years away is seen as it was about 30 years ago.
Educational matching uses a curated catalog of nearby and familiar stars with rounded published distances. Because stars are not spaced at every exact light-year distance, your result is the closest match in the catalog rather than an exact one.
AstRowe Comedy Observatory
Dad Joke Launcher
Pull the lever for a randomly selected space Dad Joke.
PULL!
How does the Moon cut its hair?
Machine primed. Pull the lever.
Dad Joke DYK
The term “dad joke” was recorded in a 1987 Father’s Day editorial by Jim Kalbaugh of the Gettysburg Times, who defended the tradition as part of fatherhood.
Dad Joke DYK
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WARNING:
Telling Dad Jokes could result in eye rolls and groans from mom and kids. Excessive telling of Dad Jokes could be harmful to Dad's health.