Science & Space
Planets, elements, and the universe by the numbers.
The Strongest El Niño Events on Record
Ranked by peak Oceanic Niño Index, the 2015–16 El Niño tops 16 events since 1950 at +2.8 °C, ahead of 1997–98 and 1982–83. Data are NOAA's ERSST.v5 ONI through AMJ 2026.
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The Largest Earthquakes Ever Recorded
The largest earthquakes ever recorded, ranked by moment magnitude from the USGS list: Valdivia, Chile (Mw 9.5, 1960) leads Alaska 1964 (9.2) and a tie at 9.1 for Sumatra 2004 and Tōhoku 2011. As of October 13, 2026.
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The Countries with the Most Nobel Prizes
Which countries have produced the most Nobel Prize laureates? The United States leads with 429 through the 2026 announcements, ahead of the United Kingdom (144), Germany (116) and France (79), with a breakdown by prize.
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The Largest Optical Telescopes in the World
Operating optical and infrared telescopes ranked by effective aperture, from the 11.8 m Large Binocular Telescope to the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias and the twin 10 m Keck telescopes, plus JWST in space.
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The Strongest Atlantic Hurricanes on Record
Atlantic hurricanes ranked by lowest minimum central pressure, from the National Hurricane Center's records, as of October 9, 2026. Wilma's 882 millibars in 2005 is the record, and the whole list is made up of Category 5 storms.
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The Astronauts with the Most Time in Space
The 15 people with the most cumulative time in space across all their missions, led by cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko at about 1,111 days. Totals are as of October 7, 2026, and active flyers' totals can still grow.
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The Most Powerful Rockets Ever Launched
Every orbital-class rocket that has flown at least once, ranked by sea-level liftoff thrust. SpaceX's Starship V3 leads at 80,800 kN, nearly double the Soviet N1 and well above NASA's Saturn V and SLS.
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The Largest Planets in the Solar System
Gas giants dwarf the rest — see the numbers.
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