Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
How tiny ‘dead’ galaxies get their groove back and make stars again
Talk about sibling rivalry. Most of the smallest galaxies are “dead,” making no new stars. Now, computer simulations reveal why it is so hard for a tiny galaxy to rejuvenate itself: The...
Astronaut urine for building a Moon base
From human waste to superplasticiser, astronaut urine could become a useful resource for making a robust type of concrete on the Moon.
China's new spacecraft returns to Earth: official
China's new prototype spacecraft "successfully landed" on Friday, marking an important step in its ambitions to run a permanent space station and send astronauts to the moon.
Earth from Space: Northwest Greenland
Video: 00:03:33 This week's edition of the Earth from Space programme features an icy image of Northwest Greenland captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission.See also Northwest Greenland to download the image.
Northwest Greenland
Image: Northwest Greenland is featured in this icy image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission.
Astronomers find closest black hole to Earth
Astronomers believe they have found the closest black hole to our solar system, lying just 1,000 light-years away, which in astronomical terms, is right in our neighbourhood.
Gemini gets lucky and takes a deep dive into Jupiter's clouds
Researchers using a technique known as "lucky imaging" with the Gemini North telescope on Hawaii's Maunakea have collected some of the highest resolution images of Jupiter ever obtained from the...
Famous birthdays for May 8: Toni Tennille, David Attenborough
Singer Toni Tennille turns 80 and author/broadcaster/naturalist David Attenborough turns 94, among the famous birthdays for May 8.
President Donald Trump applauds Gov. Greg Abbott's handling of Texas reopening during White House visit
Gov. Greg Abbott met Thursday with President Donald Trump in the White House to discuss Texas' response to the coronavirus pandemic as the state moves forward with restarting its economy.
California to reopen 25 DMV field offices on Friday after they were shut down amid coronavirus
California DMV will reopen 25 field offices after shutdown
Telescopes and spacecraft join forces to probe deep into Jupiter's atmosphere
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the ground-based Gemini Observatory in Hawaii have teamed up with the Juno spacecraft to probe the mightiest storms in the solar system, taking place more...
When baby planets melt
Let’s start at the beginning. Before humans, before Earth, before any of the planets existed, there were baby planets — planetesimals. Coalesced from dust exploded outward by the solar nebula, these blobs of...
What's Up - May 2020
What astronomy highlights can you see in the sky in May 2020? Venus, Sirius and the Milky Way. With so many of us staying home these days, here's a look...
Andy Serkis (and maybe Gollum?) will read 'The Hobbit' for coronavirus charities
Andy Serkis, who plays Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" films, announced that he will livestream a reading of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" on Friday.
New ‘planetary quarantine’ report reviews risks of alien contamination of Earth
In Michael Crichton’s 1969 novel The Andromeda Strain, a deadly alien microbe hitches a ride to Earth aboard a downed military satellite and scientists must race to contain it. While fictional, the...
Response to Comment on "A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system"
Van den Heuvel and Tauris argue that if the red giant star in the system 2MASS J05215658+4359220 has a mass of 1 solar mass (M), then its unseen companion could...
Comment on "A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system"
Thompson et al. (Reports, 1 November 2019, p. 637) interpreted the unseen companion of the red giant star 2MASS J05215658+4359220 as most likely a black hole. We argue that if...
Sample collection from asteroid (162173) Ryugu by Hayabusa2: Implications for surface evolution
The near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu is thought to be a primitive carbonaceous object that contains hydrated minerals and organic molecules. We report sample collection from Ryugu’s surface by the Hayabusa2...
NASA CubeSat mission to gather vital space weather data
NASA has selected a new pathfinding CubeSat mission to gather data not collected since the agency flew the Dynamics Explorer in the early 1980s.
Arizona firefighters rescue puppy from deep hole at construction site
Firefighters in Arizona came to the rescue of a puppy that plunged into a 15-foot-deep hole at a construction site.
'Hollywood Game Night' special set for Tuesday with Kristen Bell, Nick Jonas
NBC has announced a "Hollywood Game Night" special featuring Kristen Bell and Nick Jonas.
Space age for metals, foams and the living
Astronauts donned gloves on the International Space Station to kick off two European experiments on metals and foams, while preparing spacesuits for future work outside their home in space.
The cost of space debris
With hundreds of satellites launched every year, in-space collisions and the creation of fast-moving fragments of space debris – or ‘space junk’ - are becoming increasingly likely, threatening our continued...
European coalition takes shape on coronavirus contact tracing
A European coalition is forming around an approach to using smartphone technology to trace coronavirus infections that, its backers hope, could help to reopen borders without unleashing a second wave...
In the far future, the universe will be mostly invisible
If you look out on the sky on a nice clear dark night, you'll see thousands of intense points of light. Those stars are incredibly far away, but bright enough...
Ralph Fiennes in 'Antony & Cleopatra': Your free quarantine must-watch of the day
Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo star in the National Theatre's "Antony and Cleopatra." Here's how to watch for free.
Carbon emissions on the moon put theory of moon birth in doubt
A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in Japan has found evidence of embedded carbon emissions on the moon. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the...
The coronavirus hit to L.A. tourism: 22 million visitors and $13 billion in spending
Tourism officials estimate 75% of Los Angeles travel-related workers have been furloughed.