Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
UA to shape solar telescope mirror
(PhysOrg.com) -- When finished, the 4.2-meter mirror will be the largest telescope mirror ever pointed at the sun. Polished into a highly complex, asymmetric shape, it will be the centerpiece...
The end for ATV Johannes Kepler
Europe's unmanned ATV space freighter plunged on command into Earth's atmosphere today (21st June) to end its mission as a spectacular shooting star over the southern Pacific Ocean. Contact with...
European space freighter is destroyed after mission
A robot freighter was destroyed on Tuesday in a scheduled operation after a successful mission to supply the International Space Station (ISS), the European Space Agency (ESA) said.
Astronaut Cady Coleman Reflects on 159 Days in Space
Astronaut Cady Coleman's tenure on the International Space Station included the first flute duet from space.
Japanese Computer Named World's Fastest
Japan creates world's fastest computer, US drops to number three, while NASA itself rings in at number seven.
Le Bourget: DG press conference replay
Today in the ESA Pavilion at the Paris Air & Space Show, Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA Director General, updated media on latest developments and achievements. Watch the replay
Black hole shreds star, sparking gamma ray flash
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A monster black hole shredded a Sun-like star, producing a strangely long-lasting flash of gamma rays that probably won't be seen again in a million years, astronomers...
Space Image: Flight test
In this image from November 2010, the U.S. Air Force's ACAT F-16D flew through Sierra Nevada canyons and past peaks during ground collision avoidance test flights.
Most elliptical galaxies are 'like spirals'
(PhysOrg.com) -- The majority of 'elliptical' galaxies are not spherical but disc-shaped, resembling spiral galaxies such as our own Milky Way with the gas and dust removed, new observations suggest.
Let's Clear Up A Few Things About Geomagnetism
If you're anything more than an infrequent stumbler to Science 2.0, then you will probably have noticed - if not, read - Helen's article on geomagnetic polarity reversals, which until...
Video: Thousands out of work as NASA closes shuttle program
With NASA's decision to close their space shuttle program, thousands have found themselves looking for a new job. Kelly Cobiella reports.
Green ring fit for a superhero: Spitzer Space Telescope spies powerful light of giant 'O' stars
This glowing emerald nebula seen by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is reminiscent of the glowing ring wielded by the superhero Green Lantern. In the comic books, the diminutive Guardians of...
Next solar cycle could be a no-show
Sun may be entering a long period of reduced activity, several studies suggest
Messages from Mercury
Latest data from NASA spacecraft reveal craters cold enough to hold frozen water
Tierra del Fuego has too many beavers
USHUAIA, Argentina, June 18 (UPI) -- More than 200,000 beavers, descendants of 25 imported in 1946, are busy wreaking environmental havoc in Argentina's far south, scientists say.
Arctic Ice June 2011
Arctic Ice June 2011The sun is the main driver of climate and weather. The Arctic solar year could be plotted as a graph of the angle of the sun relative...
The Texas Tribune: U.T. Experiment Grapples With Essence of Gravity
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment at the McDonald Observatory, part of the University of Texas, could have a bearing on finally formulating why gravity exists.
NASA's Heavy-Lift Launcher Would First Fly With Solid Rocket Boosters
NASA's initial new heavy-lift rocket design includes side-mounted solid rocket boosters.
Despite budget stress, US space ties strong: NASA
Relations between the United States and its partners in space remain strong, despite tighter budgets and concerns about costs and delays in building the space station, NASA chief Charles Bolden...
A glimpse of the end of our solar system
Astronomers are investigating the possible eventual fate of the solar system by examining ‘white dwarf’ stars elsewhere in our galaxy.
Massive Stars Shoot 100 Million Degrees Shockwaves
Super hot high-speed winds from Milky Way stars, 25 times the size of the sun, have been spotted in X-ray form by the Chandra Observatory.
Kilobots bring us one step closer to a robot swarm
(PhysOrg.com) -- When you think about robots, the odds are that you think about something that is fairly large. Maybe you picture a robot arms bolted to the floor of...
Phobos slips past Jupiter
Earlier this month, ESA's Mars Express performed a special maneuver to observe an unusual alignment of Jupiter and the martian moon Phobos. The impressive images of this rare event are...
Satellites Help in Battle to Contain Arizona Wildfires
Landsat images help firefighters plan containment efforts.
Pan-STARRS telescope spots new distant comet
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa have discovered a new comet that they expect will be visible to the naked eye in early 2013.
New data suggests the universe is clumpier than thought
(PhysOrg.com) -- After analyzing data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSK), cosmologist Shaun Thomas and colleagues from the University College of London, have concluded that the universe is "clumpier"...
Space Pictures This Week: Galaxy Tendrils, Star Glob
Hubble sees a cosmic briar patch, a supernova shows its age, volcanic ash spews over Chile, and more in this week's best space pictures.
Lockheed Martin Space Division Plans Layoffs for 1,200 Employees
The Lockheed space division layoffs will take effect by the end of the year.