Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
See Mars in wide-screen
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: One year after a famous man-vs.-machine poker tournament, the machine finally won out.
Study Puts Solar Spin on Asteroids, their Moons & Earth Impacts
Asteroids with moons, which scientists call binary asteroids, are common in the solar system. A longstanding question has been how the majority of such moons are formed. In this week's...
Cosmonauts recover explosive bolt
Russian cosmonauts complete a spacewalk to remove an explosive bolt from a Soyuz capsule attached to the International Space Station.
What's My Age? Mystery Star Cluster Has 3 Different Birthdays
Imagine having three clocks in your house, each chiming at a different time. Astronomers have found the equivalent of three out-of-sync "clocks" in the ancient open star cluster NGC 6791....
Nano-sized electronic circuit promises bright view of early universe
A newly developed nano-sized electronic device is an important step toward helping astronomers see invisible light dating from the creation of the universe. This invisible light makes up 98% of...
A Telescope Made of Moondust
A gigantic telescope on the Moon has been a dream of astronomers since the dawn of the space age. A lunar telescope the same size as Hubble (2.4 meters across)...
Evidence of water on the moon, study says
U.S. researchers have found evidence of water on the moon by studying glass pebbles picked up by NASA astronauts more than 30 years ago.
NASA Ocean Wind Power Maps Reveal Possible Energy Sources
Efforts to harness the energy potential of Earth's ocean winds could soon gain an important new tool: global satellite maps from NASA. Scientists have been creating maps using nearly a...
Swerve Left To Avoid That Satellite: The Growing Issue Of Space Debris
Think you have trouble getting rid of the clutter in your living room? After more than 50 years of launching rockets and satellites into space, the human race now has...
NASA, ESA complete comparative exploration architecture study
Over the last 6 months, representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have been engaged in detailed assessment of potential programs and...
Fascinating analysis of pioneer anomaly
Another blogger here, who is generally so far off the mark that I don't want to point to his earlier discussion, had some odd things to say about the "Pioneer...
The World's First Flying Saucer: Made Right Here on Earth [Extreme Tech]
If a professor at the University of Florida (U.F.) has his way, the first flying saucer to grace Planet Earth's skies isn't likely to come from outer space but rather...
Wetlands Update--Has Preservation Had an Impact? [EarthTalk]
Dear EarthTalk: What is the status of wetlands in North America? Years ago I remember that wetlands loss, due to development and sprawl, was accelerating fast, but I haven’t heard...
Looking for neutralinos at the Large Hadron Collider
“We are looking at the heavens, and using the very biggest things to help up predict what will happen with the very smallest things,” David Toback tells PhysOrg.com. Toback is...
Q & A: Aerial Peril
My gym teacher told us that geese defecate only on the ground, never from the sky. Is it true?
Observatory: A Cloth to Cut the Mercury Risk From Light Bulbs
Researchers have developed a material that can capture the mercury released from the broken tube of a compact fluorescent light bulb.
Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows Brighter Than Expected [News]
A new study casts doubt on a long-standing belief about the power behind gamma-ray bursts, the most energetic explosions in the universe. [More]
VIDEO: Rare Argentina Winter Ice Break
Argentina's Perito Moreno glacier is in the midst of a spectacular rupture. No large Argentina glacier has broken like this in winter since records began in 1917, officials say.
Do cosmic rays get bogged down in the cosmos?
Pierre Auger and HiRes observatories confirm rapid drop-off in number of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays reaching Earth
Satellite view of cloud tops might warn of storms brewing
For three years a new way to use data collected by NOAA weather satellites has been giving North Alabama short-term warnings of "pop-up" thunderstorms.
Open clusters like Orion have low fertility rate
A detailed survey of stars in the Orion Nebula has found that fewer than 10 percent have enough surrounding dust to make Jupiter-sized planets, according to a report by astronomers...
GM to build world's biggest rooftop solar station in Spain
US automaker General Motors said Tuesday it will equip the roof of its factory in Zaragoza in northeastern Spain with solar panels to create the world's largest rooftop source of...
U-M to Defend Title in North American Solar Car Race
As the University of Michigan defends its title in the North American Solar Challenge, the weather could be a fierce rival, team members said.
Czech Republic accedes to the ESA Convention
ESA PR 32-2008. The Agreement on the Czech Republic’s accession to the ESA Convention was signed on 8 July in Prague, by Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA, and Mirek...
What Makes Earth Special Compared to Other Planets
Earth has liquid water and plate tectonics, but its most special feature might just be us.
Ice Creamier: 'Edible Antifreeze' Puts The Smooth In Smoothie
It's Friday night, and the movie's already spinning in the DVD player. You run to the kitchen to grab a gallon of ice cream and a spoon, but you find...
NASA announces airliner design winners
WASHINGTON, July 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has given top graduate team honors in its airline design competition to Georgia Tech, with undergraduate honors given Virginia...
NASA team lands in Yellowknife to study forest fire smoke
Scientists with the National Aeronatics and Space Administration, bor NASA, are in Yellowknife this month with lasers, airplanes and giant balloons to collect data on wildfire smoke and other pollutants...