400-mile-long chain of fossilized volcanoes discovered beneath China

SpaceX is gearing up to send NASA’s Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station, marking another milestone in public-private space collaboration. The mission will ferry astronauts to the ISS, continuing the routine but still awe-inspiring work of keeping the station crewed and operational.

Scientists have just confirmed the longest lightning bolt ever recorded—a jaw-dropping 515-mile-long megaflash that stretched across the sky like something out of a sci-fi movie. This record-breaking zap, detected by advanced weather satellites, shatters previous marks and highlights how much we're still learning about extreme weather.

Editor’s Note: Lightning isn’t just those quick, dramatic strikes we’re used to—this discovery shows nature can produce freakishly massive electrical discharges we barely understand. It’s a reminder that weather tech keeps revealing wild new phenomena, and honestly, it makes you wonder what else we might’ve missed before satellites got this good. Plus, it’s just cool.

August is serving up a cosmic buffet for stargazers, with the Perseid meteor shower taking center stage mid-month. But that’s not all—there’s also a chance to spot a constellation nicknamed the "big fish" and some dazzling planetary meetups. Basically, if you’ve been waiting for a reason to lay out under the stars, this is your month.

Editor’s Note: Summer nights are already magical, but August cranks it up with celestial fireworks. The Perseids are one of the year’s most reliable meteor showers, and the other events add extra sparkle. It’s a reminder that you don’t need fancy gear to enjoy the universe—just a clear sky and a little patience. Perfect for casual viewers and hardcore astronomy nerds alike.

Popular Science is promoting a limited-time deal where you can grab a lifetime subscription to a massive library of high-quality documentaries for a one-time payment—saving you $250 compared to the usual cost. No more monthly fees, just unlimited access to award-winning content.

Editor’s Note: If you're a documentary lover tired of subscription fatigue, this is a pretty sweet bargain. Instead of shelling out month after month, you pay once and get endless access to top-tier content. It’s a solid option for cord-cutters or anyone looking to ditch recurring charges without sacrificing quality viewing.

Scientists are buzzing about super-Earth K2-18 b, a distant planet that might be covered in a vast ocean. New data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggests it’s loaded with water vapor—though we still don’t know if it could actually support life. The discovery amps up excitement because water is a key ingredient for habitability, but researchers are careful to say they haven’t found definitive proof of life (or even conditions perfect for it). Still, it’s a tantalizing clue in the cosmic hunt for another Earth-like world.

Editor’s Note: Finding a water-rich planet relatively "close" to us (in space terms, anyway) is a big deal—it’s like spotting a promising oasis in a desert of uninhabitable rocks. While K2-18 b isn’t confirmed to be habitable yet, it’s now one of the top candidates for scientists to study further. This kind of discovery pushes the boundaries of where we might eventually find life beyond Earth, and it shows how powerful tools like the JWST are at peeling back the mysteries of distant worlds. For space nerds and casual observers alike, it’s a reminder that the universe might be far weirder—and wetter—than we imagined.