Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
ESA to Delay Mars Rover Mission
ESA governments agreed to delay the launch of Europe's Mars rover to 2016.
Asteroid arrival is successfully predicted for first time
The object burned up over Sudan, posing no threat to people. The prediction shows that an alert system is working, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory expert says. ...
Phoenix Lander Digs And Analyzes Soil As Darkness Gathers
As fall approaches Mars' northern plains, NASA's Phoenix Lander is busy digging into the Red Planet's soil and scooping it into its onboard science laboratories for analysis.
New Google Earth satellite image released
DULLES, Va., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- GeoEye Inc. has released a high-resolution color image of a U.S. university to show what its new, highly accurate mapping satellite can...
FOR KIDS: Troubles with Hubble
Just before a planned repair mission, the space telescope went quiet
New Teams Join Private Race to Moon
Two new teams join the Google Lunar X Prize race to the moon.
U.S. scientist, two in Japan share Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel goes to Yoichiro Nambu of Chicago and Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa of Japan, who made strides in the study of a phenomenon called broken symmetry. ...
Method Of Predicting Clear Air Turbulence Could Make Flights Smoother In The Future
A new method of forecasting clear air turbulence will be published this week in the Journal of Atmospheric Sciences. The research, led by a scientist at the University of Georgia,...
Cylindrical Solar Cells Give a Whole New Meaning to Sunroof
There are approximately 30 billion square feet (2.8 billion square meters) of expansive, flat roofs in the U.S., an area large enough to collect the sunlight needed to power 16...
Splashy Portrait Helps Explain How Stars Form
Different wavelengths of light swirl together like watercolors in a new, ethereal portrait of a bright, star-forming region.
Artists and Astronomers 'Observe' the Universe Together
A new exhibition opening in Pasadena brings artists and astronomers together to create original pieces of art. The project is a collaboration between the Art Center College of Design and...
Satellite data reveals extreme summer snowmelt in northern Greenland
The northern part of the Greenland ice sheet experienced extreme snowmelt during the summer of 2008, with large portions of the area subject to record melting days, according to Dr....
NASA studies 35-year-old Apollo equipment
GREENBELT, Md., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. space agency scientists say they are studying a heat shield used 42 years ago on an Apollo space mission to develop...
EU scientists launch new, 'unbreakable' encryption system
A new encryption system, which its creators say is unbreakable, got its first test run Wednesday in Vienna, scientists from the European Union project SECOQC announced.
Scientists meet for alien summit
The search for alien life outside our solar system will be at the forefront of discussions by scientists.
Japan ready to host new 'Big-Bang' project
Boosted by its win of the 2008 Nobel Physics Prize, Japan said Wednesday it hoped to play host to a major international scientific organisation's new machine exposing the secrets of...
Digital-Age Guru Signs on as Backup Space Tourist
Digital-Age guru Esther Dyson has paid $3 million to be a backup space tourist.
Missouri girl named 'Top Young Scientist'
GREENBELT, Md., Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency said Melissa Rey, 14, of Parkway Central Middle School in Chesterfield, Mo., has won the "America's Top Young...
TRAVEL/CULTURE PHOTOS WEEKLY: Dog Race, Festivals, More
Hundreds of hot air balloons prepare for flight, firecrackers explode at a vegetarian festival in Phuket, and more in our weekly update of culture photos.
Q & A: Asphalt Jungle
The fumes from “road tar” or asphalt give me a headache. What is in it? Does it contain carcinogens?
Boulder-Size Asteroid to Be Fireball Over Earth Tonight
The small space rock won't hit the planet, say astronomers, who note that this marks the first time they have been warned of an object approaching so close to Earth.
Millions of Names Sent to Space
The names of millions of individuals sit on Mars or cling to an asteroid. And more will go up soon.
Dark matter, new planets could bring physics Nobel
(AP) -- Scientists who have pursued dark matter, hunted for undiscovered planets and advanced nanotechnology were being touted Monday as candidates for the 2008 Nobel Prize in physics.
Spotless Sun: Blankest Year Of The Space Age
Astronomers who count sunspots have announced that 2008 is now the "blankest year" of the Space Age. An image taken on Sept. 27, 2008 by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory...
Astronomy, Space Exploration Have Nun Flying
Many people contemplate the union of science and religion. But few have embraced both with the fervor and dedication as that of Sister Clarice Lolich, a nun and NASA space...
And the Ig Nobel Goes to . . .
Laugh first, think later. That’s the theory behind the annual Ig Nobel Awards, which celebrate academia’s most bizarre, irrelevant studies. Past winners have included Dan Quayle, doctors who found that...
Infrared Echoes Give NASA's Spitzer a Supernova Flashback
Hot spots near the shattered remains of an exploded star are echoing the blast's first moments, say scientists using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
New Stellar Speedometers Probe Universe's Mysteries
The twinkling night sky is not just pretty to look at - it also carries the secrets of distant suns.