Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Planck telescope finds cold, weird wonders
Survey's first results reveal largest galaxy clusters and most frigid objects in universe
Hotspots in fountains on the sun’s surface help explain coronal heating mystery
GREENBELT, Md. -- Observations from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Japanese satellite Hinode show that some gas in the giant, fountain-like jets in the sun's atmosphere known as...
Statistical analysis can estimate crop performance
Madison, WI December 23, 2010 -- Scientists at Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom, in collaboration with the International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria have...
NASA's silly sci-fi film list -- 2012 the most flawed (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- At a conference held at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, NASA experts have voted 2012 the most scientifically flawed and absurd science fiction film ever made.
Longstanding mystery of Sun’s hot outer atmosphere solved
One of the most enduring mysteries in solar physics is why the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, is millions of degrees hotter than its surface. Now scientists believe they have...
Scientists probe puzzle of sun temperature
PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- A puzzle as to why the sun's outer atmosphere is millions of degrees hotter than its churning surface may have been partly...
Venus probe may get 2nd chance soon
TOKYO, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- A Japanese space probe that failed to enter orbit around Venus may get a chance to redeem itself earlier than its controllers first thought,...
Ibn Al-Haytham - The Mad Egyptian Polymath Who Proved Aristotle Wrong
Ibn al-Haytham can be called the father of modern optics. His 11th-century Book of Optics, which was published 1000 years ago, is considered by some to be in the same...
Bad Housekeeping: Dust in Earth's Atmosphere Has Doubled Since the Start of the 20Th Century
The amount of dust in the Earth's atmosphere doubled since the beginning of the 20th century and the dramatic increase is influencing climate and ecology around the world, according to...
Surprising flares in crab nebula
Astronomers have recently detected two short-duration gamma-ray pulses coming from the Crab Nebula, which was previously believed to emit radiation at very steady rate. The pulses were fueled by the...
Telescope calibration may help explain mystery of universe's expansion
Is the expansion of the universe accelerating for some unknown reason? A telescope newly calibrated by scientists can be more certain of one day obtaining an accurate answer.
Life's Building Blocks May Have Been Found on Mars, Research Finds
NASA's Viking landers may have detected life's building blocks on Mars after all, a new study suggests.
Extreme Planet Makeover
The new "Extreme Planet Makeover" on the NASA/JPL PlanetQuest site lets you roll up your sleeves and create your very own planet.
Photos: Huge Observatory 1.5 Miles Deep in Antarctic Ice
Just completed deep under South Pole ice, the world's largest neutrino observatory is set to search for clues to cosmic mysteries.
Details of the Moon's Core Revealed by 30-year-old Data
A new look at signals from seismic sensors left on the lunar surface in the 1970s have revealed new insight into the moon's core.
Gulf leak may give climate clues
Almost all methane released by the Deepwater Horizon leak was swallowed by bacteria - which could help understand future climate processes in the Arctic, scientists report.
Hunting for Habitable Planets
On Wednesday, January 26, as part of Perimeter Institute's Public Lecture Series presented by Sun Life Financial, Sara Seager will share her unique insights into recent Kepler announcements, and detail...
Border collie comprehends over 1,000 object names
Spartanburg, S.C., USA, 6 January, 2010 -- Researchers at Wofford College discovered that a Border Collie comprehends the names of over 1000 objects, differentiating between names of objects and...
Auroral rocket observed flow of heat, particles and electromagnetic energy
The aurora borealis and aurora australisthe northern and southern lightsare visible manifestations of a connection between the Sun and Earth. Blasts of energy and magnetically charged particles from the Sun...
New propulsion system for robotic lander prototype tested by NASA
NASA's Robotic Lunar Lander Development Project at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., has completed a series of hot fire tests and taken delivery of a new propulsion system...
Did GD61 eat a Planetessimal?
The primary method by which astronomers hope to study exoplanet atmospheres is by detecting their absorption spectra as they transit their parent stars. However, another way would be to detect...
Sun, Moon and Earth line up for Proba-2
ESAs Proba-2 microsatellite experienced a conjunction of the spheres on Tuesday, as the Sun, Moon and Earth all lined up in front of it.
Satellite eye on Earth: December 2010
Snow storms in the States, Europe's big freeze and flooding in Queensland were all captured by Nasa satellites last month
Play Nice Up There! Code of Conduct for Space Sought
There's been some pushing and shoving lately to establish an global "Code of Conduct" for outer space.
Cute! White lioness bears 3 cubs in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Zookeepers in Buenos Aires showed off triplets Wednesday - three white cubs born to a pair of white lions imported from...
NASA airborne observatory's past unearthed
Fifteen years after its final flight, veterans of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, or KAO, gathered at NASA's Ames Research Center Nov. 10, 2010 to witness the opening of a time...
$4.5M raised so far to build powerful telescope
The man behind a project to build "the most powerful telescope on Canadian soil" says he's about $1.2 million away from beginning construction.
Planet Triple Feature: Venus, Saturn and Mercury Visible at Dawn This Week
Early risers this week will be treated to a spectacular display: Mercury, Venus, and Saturn will appear just before sunrise.