Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
STAR TRAK: Mercury first planet to be seen through most of July
For the first three weeks of July, the first planet to appear in the evening sky will be Mercury, visible near the west-northwestern horizon around 45 minutes after sunset. After...
Expert's reentry flap endures hot baptism
(PhysOrg.com) -- A spacecraft control flap designed for the super-heated hypersonic fall through Earths atmosphere has come through testing in the worlds largest plasma wind tunnel to be ready for...
Dazzling Launch Photos: Minotaur 1 Rocket's Late-Night Liftoff
Photos from NASA's June 29 launch of a Minotaur 1 rocket and the new ORS-1 military satellite.
New comet could put on 2013 show
HANA, Hawaii, June 28 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say a newly discovered comet could provide an astronomical spectacle when it swings through the solar system in 2013.
Video: Weighted Ping-Pong Balls Fall Indefinitely Through a Granular Medium
Reaching Terminal Velocity in a Granular Medium Yeah, it's possible. Defying intuition, dense enough materials can reach terminal velocity within granular solid media. A team of Mexican and Cuban researchers have made a...
3 Questions: Richard Binzel on near-Earth asteroids
On Monday at approximately 1:14 p.m. EDT, an asteroid named 2011 MD will pass only 7,500 miles above Earths surface a close call in astronomical terms. The asteroid was...
Volkswagen Launches Features to Fix Driving Mistakes
Volkswagen announces new tech features to help prevent accidents.
Do you want to call to André in space?
Are you a science centre, a science museum, a planetarium or a science festival, engaging the public on science and space? Then ESA is offering you a rare opportunity to...
Researchers develop new software to advance brain image research
A University of Colorado Boulder research team has developed a new software program allowing neuroscientists to produce single brain images pulled from hundreds of individual studies, trimming weeks and even...
New animation depicts next Mars rover in action
(PhysOrg.com) -- Although NASA's Mars Science Laboratory will not leave Earth until late this year nor land on Mars until August 2012, anyone can watch those dramatic events now in...
Juno blanket check
(PhysOrg.com) -- As the Juno spacecraft is elevated by a rotation fixture, a technician at Astrotech's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., examines the installation of blankets on the aft...
Going Green at Home Made Easier with iPhone App; Homeowners Can Control Home Appliances Remotely
Computer science researchers at the University of Arkansas and University of San Francisco have developed an automated energy-management system that monitors energy generation and consumption in off-grid and grid-tied homes...
Crews fully contain 1 of 3 major Arizona wildfires
(AP) -- One of three major wildfires burning in Arizona is now fully contained, and a second fire is nearly extinguished.
Calgary teen could be youngest space tourist
The 17-year-old Calgary boy is among hundreds of space tourists who have already reserved their place for a flight into the cosmos aboard billionaire Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic spaceships.
Scientists watch exotic particle change flavor
Scientists have observed the rare phenomenon of one type of exotic particle transforming into another, which could reveal secrets about the evolution of the universe.
Solstice Sun Storm May Spark Dazzling Northern Lights Today
Skywatchers at high northern latitudes may see some supercharged auroras, NASA says.
Busted! Nearby Galaxy Is a Stellar Thief
The Large Magellanic Cloud snatched stars from its longtime companion
Fantastic Aurora: Inside the Sun to Earth's Poles
Plasma from solar flares or coronal mass ejections travel along solar wind to ultimately produce aurora's in Earth's polar regions. This visually stunning explanatory video takes you on a journey...
NASA to Host Launch Tweetup for Jupiter-Bound Mission
NASA will host a two-day launch Tweetup for 150 of its Twitter followers on Aug. 4-5 at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Gale crater reported front-runner for MSL landing site
A 150-kilometer-wide hollow on Mars named Gale Crater has emerged as the front-runner for the potential landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, which will head to Mars...
'Missing' Moon Dust Turns Up at St. Louis Auction
NASA has recovered some missing moon dust after learning the material was slated to be auctioned off.
X-ray illumination of supernova ejecta
(PhysOrg.com) -- Supernovae are the explosive deaths of massive stars, cataclysms that disburse into space the chemical elements produced by nuclear reactions inside the progenitor stars. Understanding chemical enrichment is...
NASA flights seek to improve view of air pollution from space
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two NASA research airplanes will fly over the Baltimore-Washington region and northeast Maryland this summer as part of a mission to enhance the capability of satellites to measure...
Space Image: Aflame
Fire acts differently in space than on Earth. Sandra Olson, an aerospace engineer at NASA's Glenn Research Center, demonstrates just how differently in her art. This artwork is comprised of...
Gamma-ray emission from Terzan 5
(PhysOrg.com) -- The H.E.S.S. telescope system in Namibia discovered a new source of very-high-energy gamma-rays from the direction of the globular cluster Terzan 5. Being very likely located in the...
The faces of Vesta (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- New images of the asteroid show the first surface structures and give a preview of the Dawn mission's coming months.
Studies in Microwaves, Fluids Nab Scientists Big Cash
A Russian astrophysicist who pioneered the study of fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background...
Jet-pack man soaring above California waters
There was James Bond. There was the Rocketeer. And now there is Bob Wilson, self-described "handyman, inventor, whatever," who is inspiring awe by donning a water-powered jet pack and soaring...