As new telescopes, space companies and initiatives start up, it seems excitement for what lies beyond our planet has been growing rapidly in recent years. 2017 was a big year for exploring our solar system and understanding the much larger cosmos. We’ve compiled a few dozen of the biggest stories in space from the past year, from the hunt for E.T. to gravitational waves and more.
In the US, the space story of the year experienced first-hand by the most people was the Great American Total Eclipse in August. Millions of Americans traveled or just stepped outside to watch the rare coast-to-coast spectacle of our moon blotting out the sun.
Caption by Eric Mack / Photo by Johanna DeBiase/CNET
