Mark Mancini

Could a person catch fire — with no apparent spark or flame — and then burn so completely nothing else ignites around them?

By Stephanie Watson & Mark Mancini

The oceans' levels change daily across the globe. We know them as tidal changes. But what causes this constant shift in sea level and why is it more dramatic is some places than others?

By Mark Mancini

Scientists are continually discovering more moons orbiting the outer planets, particularly Saturn and Jupiter. Just how many moons does Jupiter have?

By Mark Mancini & Desiree Bowie

How galaxies get their shapes and evolve is widely debated.

By Mark Mancini & Yara Simón

A cryptid is an animal whose existence is unproven, meaning no corpse or live specimen has ever been documented by the scientific community. But believers still persist.

By Mark Mancini & Nicole Antonio

The term "blue moon" dates back to at least the 16th century. Since then, it's had several different definitions, many of which are contradictory. So what's a blue moon today?

By Mark Mancini

All of the planets in the solar system are named for Greek gods, except Earth. So where did the name come from?

By Mark Mancini

Some scientists think the existence of plate tectonics could be a prerequisite for life. So do they exist on other planets outside of Earth?

By Mark Mancini

Why do planets in the solar system all seem to be round? Why not cylindrical? Or even cube-shaped?

By Mark Mancini

Founding father Benjamin Franklin is partially to blame for the legend of the Jersey Devil. Here's the strange story of this folklore beast.

By Mark Mancini

Legend says that jackalopes roam the plains of Wyoming and even like to sing campfire songs. How much truth is there to this mythical creature?

By Mark Mancini

The bunyip is a cryptid from Australian mythology that lives in wetlands, billabongs and rivers Down Under. But is the bunyip real or just another legend?

By Mark Mancini

Since the 1960s, we've been captivated by the planet Mars. How different is our neighbor, and what have we learned about the most explored planet?

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D., Nicholas Gerbis & Mark Mancini

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Big as this gas giant is though, next to the sun, it's still small.

By Mark Mancini

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, and it's the smallest in the solar system. So why does it have longer days than we have on Earth?

By Mark Mancini

Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and the second-largest planet in the solar system. This gas giant has more rings and moons than any other planet.

By Mark Mancini

Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun and one of the coldest. It also has supersonic winds that are the fastest in the solar system.

By Mark Mancini

Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun and sits on an axial plane tilted at a jaw-dropping 97.7-degree angle. And yes, Uranus does actually stink.

By Mark Mancini

The atmospheric pressure is crushingly extreme on Venus, and lead would melt into a puddle on its surface. But as hellish as this place sounds, it actually has a lot in common with Earth.

By Mark Mancini

Even though it's tiny compared to the rest of the universe, Earth is a complex planet that, so far, is the only one we know of that sustains life.

By Kathryn Whitbourne & Mark Mancini

June 21 marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Here are five cool facts about it.

By Mark Mancini

The idea of planet Nibiru has captivated doomsday prophets and conspiracy theorists for decades, but nobody has proven its existence. What's the deal?

By Mark Mancini

Most of the world uses meters, apart from the U.S. and a few other countries. So what's an easy way to convert from meters to feet and vice versa?

By Mark Mancini

This human-made element can power everything from nuclear weapons to deep space missions. So what's so scary about plutonium?

By Mark Mancini

Converting kilogram measurements into pounds is not hard. We'll show you the textbook way plus two quick-and-dirty shortcuts.

By Mark Mancini