NASA's Voyager 1 probe has left the solar system, boldly going where no machine has gone before.

More than 200,000 people from 140 countries have applied to be the first human settlers on Mars, the group behind the project to colonise the red planet has said.

An Italian astronaut aboard the International Space Station has captured glimpses of New Zealand in images posted on social media this week.

Sarah Brightman, the soprano who first lost her heart to a Starship trooper, is going to ridiculous lengths to find it again — by booking a trip to the International Space Station. Julia Llewellyn Smith meets her.

We are not alone. Scientists have discovered a second blue planet in the Universe, although this one is decidedly inhospitable and unlikely to support life.

Astronomers say they have found another blue planet a long, long way from Earth - no water world, but a scorching, hostile place where it rains glass sideways.

Paul Charman salutes Voyager 1's famous gold record.

Police say a bright light was reported speeding across New Zealand skies on Monday. Did you see it?

The biggest full moon of 2013, a 'supermoon,' lit up the night sky Sunday.

The US space agency NASA has come up with a startling image of an eclipse.

The first people to make the perilous journey to Mars will have to cope with long periods of boredom, the constant worry of returning safely and the joy/pain of each other's company.

Seattle's an economic engine, a leader in sustainability and a hub for culture and creativity, writes Dr Ann Bartos and John Mauro. It could easily be Auckland.

Another giant space rock is set to sail by the Earth just a few months after our last close encounter - but an expert says asteroid armageddon isn't something we need to worry about any time soon.

Space enthusiast Mark Rocket has been waiting six years for seat on one of the world's first commercial space flights - but says it will be worth the wait.

A Russian capsule carrying mice, lizards and other small animals has returned to Earth after spending a month in space for what scientists said was the longest experiment of its kind.

The Sun has unleashed three potent solar flares in just under 24 hours, marking the most intense activity yet this year and causing limited interruptions to high-frequency radio communications.

A Canterbury astrophysicist will fly to Europe next week to be presented with the Einstein Medal from the Albert Einstein Society.

Narongsak Nagadhana toured New Zealand and captured these beautiful time-lapse videos from the South Island, Mount Cook Valley - The Church of Good Shepherd in Tekapo - and a Queenstown sunset. courtesy vimeo.com/user17638692