The Cosmos: A Beginner's Guide

While some scientists scan the skies for signs of intelligent life, others investigate the possible composition of alien life-forms--and how we might communicate with them.

Deep under Geneva, the Large Hadron Collider might offer clues about the Big Bang; meanwhile, investigators probe the origin of the planets and the makeup of stardust.

Using state-of-the-art technology, telescopes provide spectacular views of the cosmos and even offer a glimpse back in time to the universe's earliest light.

Today, astronauts train in the Utah desert for a possible mission to Mars, scientists keep tabs on a deep-space probe, and engineers test new ways to escape Earth.

Space is anything but placid. Explosions rock the cosmos constantly--some at the very edge of space, and others unnervingly close to home.

As the search continues for an Earth-like exoplanet, new technology offers a better understanding of the moon and other bodies inside our own solar system.