space

The sun, Earth, and moon will align at approximately 3:54 p.m. EDT today — but you may miss it if you blink! One of the century's shallowest and shortest partial eclipses will occur this afternoon. Catch the quick astrological phenomena in the sky or on the web with this mini guide to today's lunar eclipse.

• When can I see it? — Today, April 25, 2013 at 3:45 p.m. EDT and 12:45 p.m. PDT.
• Where is it in the sky? — North and South America won't be able to watch Earth's umbral shadow clip the moon, but it will be visible to much of the Eastern Hemisphere (specifically western Australia, Africa, Europe, and central Asia).
• Is there a live stream of the lunar eclipse? — Why, yes there is! Telescopes on the Canary Islands with their eyes on the eclipse will be broadcasting the event via Slooh Space Camera, beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.
• How long will it last? — Scientists are projecting a full 27 minutes (the third shortest partial lunar eclipse of the 21st century). If you miss this one, the Earth's dark umbral shadow will touch the moon's face again next year, on April 15, 2014, and this time, it'll be a total eclipse!

Every remarkable female astronaut (honestly, is there any other kind?) deserves a giant replica of her space suit made in her honor. New York-based artists Joanna Malinowska and Christian Tomaszewski are setting a precedent for tributes to space-faring humans with their installation Mother Earth Sister Moon, which manifests itself around a huge inflated Soviet cosmonaut suit based on the real one worn by Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.

Valentina's inflated space suit is home to fashion shows, screenings, art showcases, and more. Visitors are allowed to walk in and out of the galactic installation, which realizes a vision of the future as seen by Communist regimes, by blending architecture, fashion, music, and design with Soviet sci-fi film and literature.

See the colossal room-sized cosmonaut suit for yourself at the Zacheta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, Poland, until May 19, and preview the exhibit's fashion and design display after the break.

An annual star event called the Lyrids meteor shower is lighting up the sky this weekend, peaking late Sunday, April 21 and before dawn on Monday, April 22. The light show can actually be seen through the 25th, but a bright, shining moon might get in the way of the spectacle.

Thanks to that glowing moon, around 4 a.m. on Monday morning will be the best time to see the sparkling comets in the sky. Lucky skygazers in the southern US are in for the best view of all.

Look up at night — and if you're lucky, you might see a shooting star or two. But beyond the Earth's magnificent atmosphere is a vast and open ocean of beautiful astronomical formations. Sounds like a good way to send out a handwritten letter or an invite, doesn't it?

We are completely captivated by Kate of Mini Eco's super quick-and-easy guide to DIY galactic envelopes. Kate is also the do-it-yourself mastermind behind this cute and clever Pac-Man garland.

Happy crafting, geeks! If you're looking for more projects, we've got plenty of fun and geeky DIYs for your weekend, plus the best at-home design apps for more complicated projects.

Earth Month is an annual celebration every April, when eco-conscious citizens around the globe help other earthlings reduce their carbon footprint and put an end to "environmental apathy." NASA is celebrating this month's green awareness with a video showcasing what we're trying to save — the Earth.

"NASA Science Eyes" is the name of the video, and rightly so — the footage was taken by astronauts on the International Space Station orbiting the globe. NASA's scientists are working on a daily basis to better understand how our planet really works and how we can protect it.

You can participate in the official Earth Day — April 22 — by adhering to eco-friendly tech tips, cutting down on electricity, planning a green wedding, and more! Let us know what you'll be doing to protect the environment throughout the month.

For those who want to experience the sights of Mars (you know, without taking in the toxic fumes), the interactive 360-degree, four-billion-pixel panorama by photographer Andrew Bodrov is the most sweeping view of the Red Planet you're going to get.

Andrew stitched together over 400 photos taken by the Curiosity Rover's narrow angle camera (NAC), which has a 100mm focal length, and medium angle camera (MAC), which has a 34mm focal length. The end result is a totally immersive 90,000-by-45,000-pixel image that takes you right to the surface of Mars. Andrew creates all sorts of interactive photography for 360pano.eu, including some older photo composites from the early days of NASA's Curiosity rover.

Super-high-resolution gigapixel panoramas are nothing new — we were geeking out on photographer Toni Sandys's GigaPan image of President Obama's inaugural address a couple months ago — but this may be the most impressive panoramic image of Mars that we've seen so far.

See all four billion pixels (make sure you get the full-screen experience!) after the break.

Listen up, space cowboys: this project has been Wil Wheaton-approved. We Are the Explorers is an Indiegogo campaign to get space exploration back in the public consciousness. The project is raising money for a 30-second trailer before the premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness in over 50 movie theaters around the country.

Space, the endless abyss of the unknown, is the key to answering life's greatest questions — but financial support for exploring the final frontier has dwindled significantly due to mandatory spending cuts. NASA shut down its shuttle program in 2011 after 30 years of human spaceflight, and an internal NASA memo citing the suspension of educational outreach programs has been circling the web.

We Are the Explorers has raised well more than half of its $33K goal, with 34 days left to go. The campaign's video features the booming voice of Peter Cullen (aka Optimus Prime in the original '80s Transformers) telling the tale of extraterrestrial discovery in the modern age.

After the break, watch the moving video about the final frontier and help out your space-faring friends at NASA!