Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Astronomers study flaring activity of the giant star KIC 2852961
Using data from NASA's TESS and Kepler spacecraft, as well as from the Konkoly Observatory, astronomers have inspected flares and superflares of a late-type giant star known as KIC 2852961....
Pi in the Sky: General Relativity Passes the Ratio's Test
Using gravitational waves to approximate pi, physicists see no problem with Einstein’s theory -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
New study estimates the odds of life and intelligence emerging beyond our planet
Humans have been wondering whether we alone in the universe since antiquity.
NASA on track to launch new Mars rover in July
NASA expects to meet a crucial deadline to launch the Perseverance Mars rover on schedule as technicians and engineers work under severe restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As life on Earth is upended, astronomers keep looking up
A glowing nebula. Spectacular galaxies. Two gravitationally-bound systems of stars, dancing together in space. They're all still there, constant, alive, untouchable from Earth and unfazed by its human pandemic.
The Dance of Jupiter’s Moons
Four hundred years ago, the astronomer Galileo Galilei announced his discovery of four moons orbiting around the planet Jupiter, each seen as a distinct white dot through his telescope. However,...
No evidence of an influence of dark matter on the force between nuclei
Although most of the universe is made up of dark matter, very little is known about it. Physicists have used a high-precision experiment to look for interaction between dark matter...
Watch: Maryland restaurant unveils social distancing bumper tables
A Maryland restaurant preparing to reopen amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic unveiled its fleet of wheeled bumper tables designed to enforce social distancing.
Exoplanet climate 'decoder' aids search for life
After examining a dozen types of suns and a roster of planet surfaces, astronomers have developed a practical model - an environmental color ''decoder'' - to tease out climate clues...
Exoplanet climate 'decoder' aids search for life
After examining a dozen types of suns and a roster of planet surfaces, Cornell University astronomers have developed a practical model—an environmental color "decoder"—to tease out climate clues for potentially...
This little NASA rover can conquer sand and steep hills
Researchers at NASA and the Georgia Institute of Technology have recently devised a way for rovers to scoot over loose soils without getting stuck and even climb up steep hills without stalling. (Shrivastava...
NASA finds heavy water vapor concentration rings eye of Cyclone Amphan
When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Northern Indian Ocean on May 18, it gathered water vapor data that showed the intensity of powerful Tropical Cyclone Amphan. Amphan is the...
NASA to Make Announcement About WFIRST Space Telescope Mission
Portal origin URL: NASA to Make Announcement About WFIRST Space Telescope MissionPortal origin nid: 460881Published: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 12:37Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: NASA will host a special edition...
First test of solar power satellite hardware in orbit
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory engineers launched PRAM, the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module, aboard an Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on May 17 as part of a comprehensive investigation into...
No evidence of an influence of dark matter on the force between nuclei
The universe mainly consists of a novel substance and an energy form that are not yet understood. This 'dark matter' and 'dark energy' are not directly visible to the naked...
Astronomers confirm existence of two giant newborn planets in PDS 70 system
New evidence shows the first-ever pictures capturing the birth of a pair of planets orbiting the star PDS 70 are in fact authentic.
Top Ten Discoveries from SOFIA
Portal origin URL: Top Ten Discoveries from SOFIAPortal origin nid: 460867Published: Monday, May 18, 2020 - 13:00Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: Ten years ago, NASA’s telescope on an airplane, SOFIA, first peered...
Mars: Mud flows on Red Planet behave like 'boiling toothpaste'
Scientists make a surprising discovery about the Red Planet by playing with mud in the laboratory.
Astronauts may be able to make cement using their own pee
Future astronauts could make lunar buildings out of moon dust and pee. That’s the suggestion of chemist Anna-Lena Kjøniksen and her colleagues, who made a cement from urea — a major component...
Czech Republic drought visible from space
The prolonged period of dry weather in the Czech Republic has resulted in what experts are calling the 'worst drought in 500 years.' Scientists are using ESA satellite data to...
Mystery of lava-like flows on Mars solved by scientists
The mystery of some lava-like flows on Mars has been solved by scientists who say they are caused not by lava but by mud.
Take a peek inside a giant star right before it dies
The biggest stars in the universe are some of the most fascinatingly complex objects to inhabit the cosmos. Indeed, giant stars have defied full explanation for decades, especially when they're...
Scientists puzzle over massive, never-before-seen star system in the Milky Way
Earlier this year, an international team of scientists announced the second detection of a gravitational-wave signal from the collision of two neutron stars. The event, called GW190425, is puzzling: The...
Kerbal includes Ariane 5 and real ESA missions for gamers
Kerbal Space Program enthusiasts will receive a free update to their space simulator to build an Ariane 5 rocket and tackle real ESA missions in ‘Shared Horizons’ from 1 July.
‘Groupie’ galaxies orbiting Milky Way tell us about dark matter, how galaxy formed
We live in a big-city galaxy. The Milky Way is so big it has satellite galaxies that orbit it, just as the Moon orbits the Earth. These arrangements tell us...
'Groupie' galaxies orbiting Milky Way tell us about dark matter, how galaxy formed
We live in a big-city galaxy. The Milky Way is so big it has satellite galaxies that orbit it, just as the Moon orbits the Earth. These arrangements tell us...
Observations shed more light on the nature of symbiotic star EF Aquilae
An international team of astronomers has conducted high-resolution optical spectroscopy and X-ray observations of the symbiotic star EF Aquilae. Results of these observations have untangled the nature of this object....
Czech Republic drought visible from space
The prolonged period of dry weather in the Czech Republic has resulted in what experts are calling the ‘worst drought in 500 years.’ Scientists are using ESA satellite data to...