Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Eminent Astronomers Brian Marsden, 73, and Allan Sandage, 84, Die From Illnesses
The astronomical community lost two longtime, eminent members this week when Brian Marsden and Allan Sandage passed away.
Air Force to Launch Space Mission Packed With New Technologies
The U.S. Air Force's experimental STP-S26 mission is slated to launch today (Nov. 19) in an effort to demonstrate a myriad of new space technologies.
World's Space Agency Leaders Discuss Common Goals at Summit
The heads of 27 international space agencies - including NASA - met Wednesday (Nov. 17) in Washington, D.C. at a summit to discuss the future of space exploration.
'Explosive' double-star systems seen
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers say they've discovered a number of previously unobserved double-star systems, some of them heading toward a spectacularly explosive fate.
Lessons From Deepwater
In the 24-hour news cycle era, the Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico already feels like an event from yesteryear, an event that had its 15 minutes...
Camera on Curiosity's arm will magnify clues in rocks
NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, will wield an arm-mounted magnifying camera similar to one on the Mars Rover Opportunity, which promptly demonstrated its importance for reading environmental history from rocks...
Full Moon to Dance With Pleiades Star Cluster
The moon will appear with the Pleiades, the brightest star cluster in the sky, on Nov. 21.
Call for Media: Graduation ceremony for ESA’s new astronauts
ESA PR 25-2010 On Monday 22 November 2010, the European Space Agency (ESA) will hold, at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, the official ceremony for its new...
US, China launch clean energy research initiative
US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Wednesday the United States and China had launched a joint clean energy initiative -- one of the largest research collaborations between two countries in...
A Costly Quest for the Dark Heart of the Cosmos
Scientists hope that the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer will lend important insights into what makes up the universe.
Space Tourism Gets Off The Ground - Finally
Ever wish you could take an extra-planetary vacation? From Dennis Tito to Charles Branson, host Brit Trogen explores the recent history of commercial space flight and the future of space...
Study: Jet lag may mean brain lag
BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Jet lag might make you more than just groggy and dazed, U.S. researchers say -- it might even make you stupid.
Infamous Contrail (aka the 'Mystery Missile') Spotted in Satellite Image
When an impressive contrail was spotted off the California coast last week, it sparked widespread reports of a mystery missile launch in the area - a theory the Pentagon squashed...
Small Asteroid to Give Earth a Close Shave
A tiny asteroid will zip close by Earth Nov. 16 at a range much closer than the moon, but poses no threat of striking our planet.
Budget Cuts And Outsourced Training Could Put NASA's Astronauts At Risk
When NASA retires its fleet of space shuttles next year, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft will become the only means of transporting people to the International Space Station. American astronauts have trained part-time on...
Green: Sunset for a Solar Subsidy?
Grants for solar installations, reliant on upfront capital, expire on Dec. 31, but the recession continues. So the industry is pressing for a two-year extension.
NERSC supercomputing center breaks the petaflops barrier
BERKELEY, Calif. -- The Department of Energy's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), already one of the world's leading centers for scientific productivity, is now home to the...
Breaking Antarctica's ice
Over the course of the past decade, NASA spacecraft have identified several sites on Mars where conditions capable of supporting life existed in the past. One of the most promising...
Sulfur dioxide in Venus' atmosphere could be key to fighting global warming on Earth
An international team, including Jean-Loup Bertaux, CNRS senior researcher, has discovered a layer of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the upper atmosphere of Venus. The researchers obtained this result using measurements...
Scope sails into budget void
An independent review finds NASA's flagship James Webb observatory is perilously overspent.
NASA's 30-Year Saturn Odyssey (Pictures)
A Rich Legacy of Visits to the Ringed Planet by the Voyager and Cassini Probes
Brilliant 10: Raul Rabadan, the Outbreak Sleuth
Raul Rabadan Benoit MarcotteHis skills as a string theorist helped him trace swine flu back to swine and revealed the source of a mysterious salmon plague Raul Rabadan hunts deadly viruses, but...
Cosmic Log: Get to know your planet better
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: There's a wealth of imagery and information about our planet for Geography Awareness Week. Take a quiz ... and you could win a prize!
Saturn Surprises Scientists by Varying Its Energy Output
Saturn is a changeable world that pumps out surprisingly variable amounts of heat from year to year and season to season, a new study has found.
Upgrading gas system cheaper, Kiev says
MOSCOW, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Upgrading the gas transit system in Ukraine could be cheaper than building new pipelines that bypass the country altogether, an energy official said in...
Nigerian oil workers abducted to Cameroon?
ABUJA, Nigeria, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Nigerian militants may have taken victims of a weekend raid on an oil platform in the Niger Delta to Cameroon, sources said.
LASCO coronagraphs obtain the first complete solar cycle set of CME observations
Naval Research Laboratory scientists have analyzed and developed the first comprehensive empirical characterization of solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) size, speed, mass, and kinetic energy.
Cosmic Log: Harry Potter sings 'The Elements'
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: You think Harry Potter's incantations are tongue-twisters? Wait until you hear "Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe sing his way through the periodic table.