Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Mystery of "jelly doughnut" martian rock solved
NASA said Friday that a wheel of the rover Opportunity broke it off a larger rock
NASA data find some hope for water in Aral Sea basin
(Phys.org) —A new study using data from NASA satellite missions finds that, although the long-term water picture for the Aral Sea watershed in Central Asia remains bleak, short-term prospects are...
NASA Moon Dust Probe Beams Its 1st Lunar Photos to Earth
The space agency's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer spacecraft (called LADEE for short) sent photos of the moon — released on Feb. 13 — back to ground controllers on...
Full-Size Space Shuttle Exhibit Launching at Ohio Air Force Museum
A historic mockup of a NASA space shuttle crew compartment has grown wings and a tail to launch as a new full-scale exhibit at the National Museum of the US...
Week's Best Space Pictures: Mars Dunes, Saturn Storms, and Sicily Shakes
Carina's young stars kick off views of Mars, Saturn, and the skies of Chile, seen in the week's best space pictures.
NASA's Robonaut 2 Performs Telemedicine
NASA is training Robonaut 2 in telemedicine, hoping that one day the robot (controlled by humans) could administer care to astronauts flying aboard the International Space Station.
Italian Space Agency chief Enrico Saggese quits in wake of investigation
Lavish travel and financial irregularities probed by prosecutors
Robotic construction crew needs no foreman
On the plains of Namibia, millions of tiny termites are building a mound of soil—an 8-foot-tall “lung” for their underground nest. During a year of construction, many termites will live...
Cosmic roadmap to galactic magnetic field revealed
Scientists report that recent, independent measurements have validated one of the IBEX mission's signature findings -- a mysterious "ribbon" of energy and particles at the edge of our solar system...
Female Cosmonaut To Become 4th Russian Woman in Space | Video
Cosmonaut Elena Serova salutes her female predecessors that paved her way to becoming a cosmonaut. She will become the first Russian woman in space since Yelena Kondakova's STS-84 mission in...
India Unveils Astronaut Capsule
Nation hopes to be the fourth to send humans into low-Earth orbit
Space Station Streaks Across Pleiades Star Cluster in Striking Amateur Photo
Amateur astrophotographer Giuseppe Petricca captured this amazing image of the International Space Station soaring over Pisa, Italy near the Pleiades star cluster. See how he took this cool photo.
Ten Years Of Research Onboard The ISS, Ten More Years Ahead | Video
Even though it was under construction, the International Space Station has been performing groundbreaking research over the past ten years. A recent ten year extension means the ISS will have...
10 More Years for the ISS
With the space station no longer "under construction," the world's most advanced orbital laboratory is open for business. The station has just received a 10-year extension from NASA, giving researchers...
One in four Americans unaware that Earth circles Sun
Americans are enthusiastic about the promise of science but lack basic knowledge of it, with one in four unaware that the Earth revolves around the Sun, said a poll out...
Israel laser shield moves closer to deployment
An Israeli state-owned arms company developing a laser-based missile shield that evokes "Star Wars" style technology says its deployment over the country is closer to becoming a reality.
Astrophysicists duo propose Planck star as core of black holes
(Phys.org) —Two astrophysics, Carlo Rovelli and Francesca Vidotto, have uploaded a paper to the preprint server arXiv in which they suggest that a structure known as a Planck star exists...
How would Earth send messages to a starship—or a distant civilization?
I have a new exercise routine where I watch Star Trek: The Next Generation most mornings of the week while doing my thing. Besides serving as awesome distraction, the episodes...
Massive Supercluster Core | Space Wallpaper
Several hundred galaxies and the huge amounts of gas that permeate them are depicted in this space wallpaper, which shows the core of the Shapley Supercluster, the largest cosmic structure...
Photons' journeys across the universe help unravel cosmological mysteries
(Phys.org) —The faint background glow that exists throughout the Universe, called the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), is made of photons that have been scattering since the universe was just 400,000...
NASA tests new technologies for robotic refueling
(Phys.org) —It's corrosive, it's hazardous, and it can cause an explosion powerful enough to thrust a satellite forward in space. Multiple NASA centers are currently conducting a remotely controlled test...
Looking for Cosmic Valentine's Day Card? ESA Has What You Need
Looking a truly out-of-this-world way to let your loved ones know you care this Valentine's Day? Look no farther than these cosmic e-cards with space photo hearts.
John Dobson: Grandfather of Modern Amateur Astronomy
I became interested in astronomy 10 years-old when I saw Saturn through a telescope at my local astronomy society. As a youngster interested in astronomy, cash was in limited supply...
Spacewatch: A year since the Chelyabinsk meteor
It is now one year since a meteor lit up the sky over Chelyabinsk in Russia and caused upwards of 1,500 casualties.It appeared in the morning sky at 9.20 local time on...
What do you think of winter storms being named?
The media has started to name winter storms, such as Pax and Hercules, to the chagrin of many meteorologists.
NASA Hosts Media Teleconference About Supernovas
NASA will host a news teleconference at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST) Wednesday, Feb. 19, to announce new observations from its high-energy X-ray mission, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array...
What are hot Jupiters?
When astronomers first discovered other planets, they were completely unlike anything we've ever found in the Solar System. These first planets were known as "hot Jupiters", because they're giant planets...
Arecibo Observatory undergoing emergency repairs after earthquake causes damage
The Arecibo Observatory's 305 meter (1,000 ft) radio telescope is undergoing emergency repair after being damaged during a 6.4 magnitude earthquake on January 13, 2014. A large cable that supports...