Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Earth to have closest encounter with Jupiter until 2022
Been outside at midnight lately? There's something you really need to see. Jupiter is approaching Earth for the closest encounter between the two planets in more than a decade --...
Snapshot: NASA Fires Twin Lasers at the Moon
Skywatchers around the world gazed at the lunar surface Sept. 18, but only one place allowed them to watch NASA fire lasers at the moon.
Cosmic ice sculptures: Dust pillars in the Carina Nebula
Enjoying a frozen treat on a hot summer day can leave a sticky mess as it melts in the Sun and deforms. In the cold vacuum of space, there is...
"Observe the Moon Night" Tomorrow: Top Five Lunar Targets
As people gather worldwide to examine Earth's nearest neighbor, find out an astronomer's "top five" things to see on the lunar surface. ...
Where do supernovae come from?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Supernovae, the explosive deaths of massive stars, are among the most momentous events in the cosmos because they disburse into space all of the chemical elements that were...
Planck satellite finds new galaxy supercluster
Surveying the microwave sky, the Planck satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA) has obtained qualitatively new images of galaxy clusters - even revealing one of them to be a...
ISS enters new era as space laboratory
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The International Space Station is to become a center for biological science in orbit, offering facilities to partners new to NASA, the U.S. space...
'Unexpectedly' Complex Molecule Found In Space
What is really happening in apparently empty areas of the Galaxy? It may get a rethink because scientists have managed to find a molecule that has an unexpectedly complicated...
First moon lander next step for ESA
Mission description: land autonomously with pinpoint precision near the Moon's south pole, a region full of dangerous boulders and high ridges. The aim of ESA's proposed precursor is to probe...
Harvard astronomers search for life's answers
If you gaze at the night sky and sometimes wonder, `What`s out there?` you`re not alone. Harvard scientists have asked the same question for centuries.
Hot water in cold comets: Water around comets produced with unusual properties
Comets, sometimes called “dirty snowballs”, are largely composed of water. An international research team recently succeeded in deciphering an important aspect of the way in which water molecules often form...
Space travel opens to all as Boeing asks tourists to reach for the stars
Engineering firm to offer seats on craft being developed for Nasa to allow passengers to orbit the EarthThe US aircraft company Boeing is to offer passengers the chance to fly into space...
A look at Nasa's rover prototype
Nasa astronaut Mike Gernhardt gives a guided tour of a prototype rover vehicle currently being tested in the Arizona desert.
Europe plans large lunar lander
Led by Germany, Europe is pressing ahead with plans to send a sophisticated, unmanned spacecraft to the surface of the Moon.
Shot Through The Heart: Telescope Fires Laser at Milky Way
A stunning photo shows a telescope in Chile blasting a bright orange laser into the sky, creating a virtual star in the heart of the Milky Way.
NASA Uses New Method to Estimate Earth Mass Movements
New NASA research mixes satellite and surface measurements with an ocean model to estimate how water is moving around Earth and measure changes caused by the last major Ice Age.
NASA Data Track Seasonal Pollution Changes Over India
Scientists using data from an instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft have analyzed aerosol pollution over India and found some surprising trends.
New Physics? Fundamental Cosmic Constant Now Seems Shifty
The so-called fine-structure constant may have different values in different parts of the universe.
Books of The Times: No. 1 Planet for Alien Tourists
Jon Stewart and his staff explain Earthlings’ ways and mores; and Charles Seife explores the pratfalls and pitfalls of fudging numbers.
105 days in isolation -- and counting -- for 400 more
Sailing now in interplanetary space on their simulated mission towards the ‘Red Planet`, the Mars500 crew has entered in a new phase of their isolation. The previous mission endured 105...
Discovery of the First Earth-Like, Habitable Exoplanet Will Be Announced in May of 2011 (Maybe)
Kepler's View at First Light NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech The numbers are in, the data has been analyzed, and the date is now set: the discovery of an earth-like, habitable planet will be announced in May...
Luxottica to launch world's first 3D glasses
Italian eyewear giant Luxottica said on Wednesday it would launch the world's first range of glasses for watching 3D films with prescription lenses through its US brand Oakley later this...
Cosmonauts gear up for Soyuz mission
The crew of the new Soyuz TMA-M mission to the International Space Station have begun the final part of their training ahead of the October 7 launch.
Tsunamis leave ionosphere all shook up
Progress of waves through open sea sends vibrations that magnify with height up the entire atmospheric column.
The Beagle, the astronaut and a party in Brazil put the awe back into science | Karen James
A collaboration between the Beagle Project and Nasa is working to inspire kids to follow in the path of Charles DarwinKaren is a botanist and blogs at the Beagle Project BlogBefore joining...
Argentina sells DNA as world demands more beef
DUGGAN, Argentina (Reuters) - Tipping the scales at more than a ton, Montecristo would yield a lot of prime Argentine steak. But ranchers are not interested in sending bulls like...
Spacewatch: Jupiter's extraordinary moons
This January brought the 400th anniversary of Galileo's discovery of the four main moons of Jupiter, a finding that helped to demolish the idea that all celestial objects circled the Earth. His crude...
CfA will play major role in mission to 'touch' the sun
When NASA's Solar Probe Plus (SPP) launches before the end of the decade, it will carry a suite of cutting-edge scientific instruments. Only one - the Solar Wind Electrons Alphas...