Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Professor: 'Zodiac signs are wrong'
Minneapolis astronomy professor, Parke Kunkle has suggested the signs of the zodiac are wrong, as the Earth's wobbly orbit means it is no longer aligned to the stars in the...
ESA announces 2011 launch plans
PARIS, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- The head of the European Space Agency says rocket launch "traffic will be much heavier" in 2011 at its French Guiana spaceport.
Sun measurements will help climate study
BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Scientists say new, more accurate measurements of the amount of energy the sun delivers to Earth will advance our understanding of global climate...
NASA satellite: Tropical Storm Vania brought heavy rains to southeastern New Caledonia
Tropical Storm Vania moved through southeastern New Caledonia on January 14 and NASA's TRMM satellite noticed heavy rainfall occurring. Residents of Norfolk Island are now expected to receive gusty...
Dark-Matter Galaxy Detected: Hidden Dwarf Lurks Nearby?
An entire galaxy—made mainly of dark matter—may be lurking just outside our own, scientists say.
New NASA Game: Extreme Planet Makeover, Gliese 581d Edition
Planet Makeover A modified version of Gliese 581d. NASA/JPL Scientists are on the hunt for exo-Earths, distant cousins of our planet that are just the right distance from their stars to harbor liquid...
Rewriting the History of Our Solar System
Planetary scientist Bill Bottke recently discussed a new model that suggests how a collision event and the effects of gravity may have caused Uranus and Neptune to migrate from...
Space Pictures This Week: Ring of Fire, Rare Moon, More
A solar eclipse occasions a blazing halo, Earth-size jets shoot from the sun, and more in this week's best space pictures.
Observatory: Four-Legged Investigators Sniff Out Wildlife Data
With more and more scientists using canines as assistants, an effort finds temperature and precipitation matter.
Best way to measure dark energy just got better
Dark energy is a mysterious force that pervades all space, acting as a "push" to accelerate the universe's expansion. Despite being 70 percent of the universe, dark energy was only...
The two-faced whirlpool galaxy
(PhysOrg.com) -- These images by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope show off two dramatically different face-on views of the spiral galaxy M51, dubbed the Whirlpool Galaxy.
Mining the Moon's Water: Q & A with Shackleton Energy's Bill Stone
A Q & A with Shackleton Energy Co. founder Bill Stone, who wants to mine the moon's water ice.
Russia lays down law over border claims
MOSCOW, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Foreign pressure over border disputes in the oil- and gas-rich arctic region are unnecessary threats, the Russian foreign minister said from Moscow.
Space telescope's beryllium mirrors
There are heavy metal videos, and now there's a "Not so heavy metal video." This one isn't about music however, it's about beryllium, the primary ingredient in making state-of-the-art mirrors...
The little Cepheid that stopped
When Hubble first discovered a Cepheid variable in the galaxy M31, the universe grew. Previously, many astronomers had held that the fuzzy spiral nebulae were small patches of gas and...
Image: Going supernova
While searching the skies for black holes using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers discovered a giant supernova that was smothered in its own dust.
Gallery: A magical mystery tour of the solar system
From the seas of Europa to a watery crater on Mars, author Marcus Chown picks his favourite corners of the solar system
ATV Johannes Kepler gears up for space journey
ATV-2 is almost ready for launch on 15 February from Europe’s Spaceport. It will be the heaviest load ever lofted into space by the Ariane 5 rocket, making the 200th...
Apollo auction is out of this world
A fascinating collection of space memorabilia from the Apollo missions is up for saleJohn Crace
Crows' cautious investigations
Crows use tools to cautiously investigate potentially dangerous new objects, according to new research.
Dark follower of Milky Way sought
Scientists have proposed a means to track down the dark dwarf galaxies that should be orbiting the Milky Way, saying they have found evidence of one, reports the BBC's Jason...
Software Glitch Blamed for Turning Satellite Into Space Zombie
Intelsat’s Galaxy 15 telecommunications satellite, which remained electrically active while adrift in orbit for more than eight months, was rendered unable to take commands by an electrostatic discharge that fouled...
The Spin Doctor
An electron spin can be compared to the needle of a compass that points either north or south. Some electrons in a full shell point up, canceling out the electromagnetic...
NASA satellites capture a stronger La Nina
New NASA satellite data indicate the current La Niña event in the eastern Pacific has remained strong during November and December 2010.
Chandra Images Torrent of Star Formation
A new Chandra X-ray Observatory image of Messier 82, or M82, shows the result of star formation on overdrive. At a distance of only 12 million light years, M82 provides...
Shuttle Commander, Record Spacewalker Chosen for Astronaut Hall of Fame
A veteran space shuttle commander and record-holding spacewalker are the newest inductees for the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Spacecraft Offers Deep Window Into Sun's Hellishly Hot Shell
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft is giving scientists great looks at parts of the sun's super-hot atmosphere that had previously evaded detailed study.
Hot Jupiter Exoplanet Discovery Opens Gateway to Understanding Evolution of Planetary Systems
The discovery of a hot Jupiter exoplanet that transfers orbital momentum to its host star may hold the key to a clearer understanding of the evolution of common planetary systems,...