Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Opinion: Solar power a strong contender
Solar power is already working well, and super-low cost solar is on the way. Can other energy sources compete?
Space Station Crew Backs Steelers in Super Bowl
Space station astronauts are pulling for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.
NASA satellite to focus on carbon dioxide
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its first satellite dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide is in final preparations for a Feb. 23 launch.
NASA Calls on Public to Vote For Hubble Telescope's Target
NASA is turning over control of the Hubble telescope for the International Year of Astronomy.
Astronauts On International Space Station Lose Alarming Amounts Of Hipbone Strength
Astronauts spending months in space lose significant bone strength, making them increasingly at risk for fractures later in life.
Helium rains inside jovian planets
Models of how Saturn and Jupiter formed may soon take on a different look. read more
Ashes of 'Star Trek' Creator's Widow to Fly in Space
The ashes of Majel Barrett Roddenberry will be launched into space with those of her 'Star Trek' creator husband Gene Roddenberry.
Comet impact theory disproved
New data, published today, disproves the recent theory that a large comet exploded over North America 12,900 years ago, causing a shock wave that travelled across North America at hundreds...
PHOTOS: Solar Eclipse "Ring" Seen Over Indonesia
An annular solar eclipse created a "ring of fire" over the southern Indian Ocean on January 26, an event heralded as magical by at least one observer.
Indian Probe Catches X-Rays From Moon
India's Chandrayaan-1 probe has caught its first glimpse of moon X-rays.
Russia Downplays Danger of Leaking Nuclear Satellite
Russia is downplaying the potential risk of a leaky nuclear-powered satellite.
Sky Show This Month: "Two-Tailed" Comet Nearing Earth
A rare optical effect makes Comet Lulin seem to have a second tail, say astronomers who add that the "fresh" comet could brighten rapidly during its closest pass by Earth...
Researchers See the 'Dark Side' of the Sun
Today, NASA researchers announced an event that will transform our view of the Sun and, in the process, super-charge the field of solar physics for many years to come.
WWF fellow appointed to Obama administration
US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced that David Hayes, a senior WWF-US fellow, is being nominated for Deputy Secretary of the Interior, a post Hayes held during...
American Space Tragedies, Astronauts Honored This Week
NASA pays tribute this week to astronauts who lost their lives in the line of duty.
NASA seeks quiet supersonic flight
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it has conducted a series of flight tests that might help produce quieter supersonic aircraft.
Ruling Gives Satellite Firm Time to Order Spare Satellite
An FCC ruling will give the satellite firm ICO time to order a spare satellite.
Students Will Carry Out Experiments In Microgravity With The European Space Agency
Several students have been selected to design, build, and carry out a scientific experiment in microgravity. For preparation the young researchers will take three parabolic flights aboard the Airbus A300...
Meteoric advances in space science program
Standing nearly 69 feet tall, the giant structure on the hill overlooking Morehead State University's campus might look to some as simply an oversize satellite TV dish.
Landmark year ahead for Earth observation science missions
With three Earth Explorer satellites set to launch this year, another three under construction and up to three more about to be selected for feasibility study, 2009 promises to be...
Frantic activity revealed in dusty stellar factories
Astronomers from the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (Spain) used NACO, a sharp-eyed adaptive optics instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), to study the fine detail in NGC 253,...
Even stars get fat
Researchers have discovered evidence that blue stragglers in globular clusters, whose existence has long puzzled astronomers, are the result of 'stellar cannibalism' in binary stars. In other words, binary stars...
ESA awarded by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Based on a cooperative agreement, ESA has been delivering data from ALOS - Japan's four-tonne Earth Observation satellite - to users across Europe and Africa since its launch three years...
C1XS catches first glimpse of X-ray from the moon
The C1XS X-ray camera, jointly developed by the UK's STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has successfully detected its first X-ray signature from the Moon....
Long, Stretchy Carbon Nanotubes Could Make Space Elevators Possible
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists from Cambridge University have developed a light, flexible, and strong type of carbon nanotube material that may bring space elevators closer to reality. Motivated by a $4...
Failed Telecommunications Satellite Drifts Out of Control
A dead telecommunications satellite is now drifting out of control in space.
Pope stars in Vatican's new YouTube channel
The Vatican launched its own YouTube channel on Friday, hoping to reach out to a global audience and take back some control of the Pope's online image.
Astronomy, the big picture
Four hundred years after Galileo began peering at the stars, 2009 is officially the International Year of Astronomy. And techniques have moved on since Galileo's day. Radio-observatories and space telescopes...