Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Monster Black Holes Spawned Early Galaxies
The discovery could solve the cosmic chicken-and-egg riddle of which came first—galaxies or the supermassive black holes nestled in their cores.
PHOTO IN THE NEWS: Milky Way's Turbulent Core in Hi-Res
The first infrared panorama of the Milky Way's center has revealed a previously unknown population of massive stars scattered across the turbulent zone around our galaxy's core.
Sagittarius offers planet clues
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers say planets may be able to form around certain types of binary star systems.
Spacewatch: 7 January 2009
The planet Venus blazes in the SSW at nightfall, stands at its greatest angular distance from the Sun (47°) on the 14th and remains conspicuous as an evening star until...
Rocky Planet Births Are Common, Dead Stars Suggest
Asteroid debris around the remains of dead stars once like our sun show chemical signatures similar to the makeup of our solar system's terrestrial worlds, according to a new study.
Astronomers use gamma-ray burst to probe star formation in the early universe
(PhysOrg.com) -- The brilliant afterglow of a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) has enabled astronomers to probe the star-forming environment of a distant galaxy, resulting in the first detection of molecular...
Lunar Rock-Like Material May Someday House Moon Colonies
Dwellings in colonies on the moon one day may be built with new, highly durable bricks developed by students from the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech.
Baby Jupiter's huge weight gain
The planet Jupiter must have gained mass fast during its infancy, according to astronomers.
Milky Way 'bigger than believed'
The Milky Way has 50% more mass and is travelling 120,000km per hour faster than once thought, a study shows.
This just in: Milky Way as massive as 3 trillion suns
Heftier size puts our galaxy on par with neighboring Andromeda, implying a closer collision date. Findings also suggest Milky Way has four spiral arms.
VIDEO: Buried Spanish Galleon Found
Complete with canons and jars of olive oil, an 18th-century Spanish ship has been found at a Buenos Aires, Argentina, construction site.
SES Americom Shuts Down Satellite TV Service
SES Americom is shutting down its IP-Prime satellite TV service.
China-Russia Mars mission set for takeoff
HONG KONG, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- The first joint Chinese-Russian mission to Mars is set to take off in October and reach the red planet in August 2010,...
Next NASA Moon Mission Completes Major Milestone
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully completed thermal vacuum testing, which simulates the extreme hot, cold and airless conditions of space LRO will experience after launch. This milestone...
Feature: The shining - astronomers find our universe is twice as bright
Astronomers have torn aside an enshrouding veil of dust to reveal that the universe is twice as brilliant and fiery a place as we had previously imagined. Julian Cribb reports.
ESA Director General to meet the press in Paris
ESA PR 02-2009. On Wednesday 14 January 2009, ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain will meet the press at ESA Headquarters in Paris.
Overview of ESA communication activities in 2009 relevant to the media
ESA PR 01-2009. Press conferences, exhibitions, launches, political events… the list of the main communications activities that ESA will be involved in is taking shape. Pencil these dates into your...
Spirit and Opportunity rovers mark five years on Mars
The US space agency's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity this month mark their fifth anniversary on the Red Planet, where they have endured harsh conditions and revealed a deluge of...
Campaign to keep NASA administrator on the job
Michael Griffin's wife circulates an online petition to Barack Obama, and NASA publishes a book of his speeches. 'The only thing left is to stencil [him] on the side of...
Big Raindrops Favor Tornado Formation, Simulations Suggest
One of the largest sources of uncertainty in weather prediction involves how microscale structures influence larger-scale phenomena. For instance, previous studies have demonstrated that the structure, dynamics, and evolution of...
Odd-looking Martian Craters Indicate Hidden Ice
Surface features common in the northern and southern midlatitudes of Mars and known as lobate debris aprons and lineated valley fill are believed to have formed either as debris flows...
Scientists say comet triggered extinctions
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- A comet struck North America 13,000 years ago, triggering massive flooding and fires followed by a short ice age, researchers said Friday.
Six North American Sites Hold 12,900-year-old Nanodiamond-rich Soil
Abundant tiny particles of diamond dust exist in sediments dating to 12,900 years ago at six North American sites, adding strong evidence for Earth's impact with a rare swarm of...
International Year of Astronomy 2009
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) has been launched by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under the theme, "The...
New Winter Wheat Ready For Prime Time
Anton, a hard white winter wheat cultivar, is now available for production in the Northern Plains region as a source of high-quality flour for bread, noodles and other baked goods.
Quadrantid Meteor Shower Expected 2nd-3rd January, 2009
This year the Quadrantid meteor shower reaches its sharp peak of activity around midday on 3rd January in the UK (early morning in the US) . From the UK the...
Deal Sets Space Tourist Flights from New Mexico
Virgin Galactic, and the State of New Mexico announced today that they have signed a 20-year lease agreement.
Year of astronomy: New eyes, new skies
The next 40 years will see telescopes that far outstrip any ever seen before. Jeff Kanipe profiles four of them; illustrations by Lynette Cook.