Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
'Little bang' triggered solar system formation
For several decades, scientists have thought that the Solar System formed as a result of a shock wave from an exploding star???a supernova???that triggered the collapse of a dense, dusty...
NASA Moves Up November Shuttle Launch
The space shuttle Endeavour is set to blast off two days early next month.
Cosmic Log: Hubble’s heavenly heritage
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: A star-studded celestial landscape is on display in a 10th-anniversary image from the Hubble Heritage Project, which finds new wonders in old data.
NEW JUPITER IMAGE: Sharpest View Ever From Earth
The entire planet comes into stunning focus using a new technique that removes atmospheric distortion.
A Little Off the Top, S'Il Vous Plait
Liberté, égalité, fraternité . . . foreskin? Who knew that penises had anything to do with the French Revolution? read more
How Round is the Sun?
Scientists using NASA's RHESSI spacecraft have measured the roundness of the sun with unprecedented precision, and they find that it is not a perfect sphere. During years of high solar...
The Dark Universe and Limitless Dark Energy
Shahn Majid looks at dark energy. Will it herald a revolution in our understanding of fundamental physics? read more
Hubble enters safe mode
At approximately 02:00 CEST on Sunday, 28 September, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope automatically entered safe mode when errors were detected in the Control Unit/Science Data Formatter-Side A.
GOCE team gearing up for new launch date
(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA and European industries have updated the planning of the preparatory activities for a new tentative launch date of 27 October 2008 for the GOCE satellite.
Space voyaging rock reveals insight into detecting life on other planets
(PhysOrg.com) -- Intelligent life from other planets would be able to tell that Earth is inhabited if they had come into contact with a space voyaging piece of Orkney rock,...
Radiation shut down EU test satellite for two weeks: ESA
A second test satellite for Galileo, Europe's rival to the US Global Positioning System (GPS), closed itself down for more than two weeks last month because of space radiation, concurring...
Space academy ready for blast off
A space academy opens with a mission to inspire young people to look skywards for a career.
More Star Births Than Astronomers Have Calculated
More newborn stars are apparently emerging around the universe than previously assumed. Researchers have now published a paper in the journal Nature explaining this discrepancy. Their study has identified a...
Celebration of Planet Earth Gets Underway In Houston Next Week
The city of Houston, Texas, well known for its role in space launches, will soon be the site of another kind of launch: the official United States kick-off of International...
Finder of Wi-Fi hot spots
I recently took a trip to Providence, R.I, for a family wedding. Since my connecting flight from Atlanta was on a regional jet, with limited overhead and under-seat space, I...
First Detection Of Magnetic Field In Distant Galaxy Surprises Astronomers
Using a powerful radio telescope to peer into the early universe, a team of California astronomers has obtained the first direct measurement of a nascent galaxy's magnetic field as it...
Researchers and Students to Develop Small CubeSat Satellites
A satellite about the size of a loaf of bread will be designed and built at the University of Michigan and deployed to study space weather, thanks to a new...
NASA Taps Ex-Astroanut to Head Spaceport
Bob Cabana will take the helm at Kennedy Space Center in mid-October.
Dnepr Rocket Launches Earth-Watching Satellite for Thailand
A silo-launched Dnepr rocket launched an Earth-observing Thai satellite Wednesday.
SPACE PHOTOS THIS WEEK: Jules Verne Spacecraft, More
The ESA's Jules Verne spacecraft reenters Earth's atmosphere, the Circinus galaxy appears in a composite image, and more in our weekly roundup of space photos.
'Smog Blog' For Central America initiated
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency and its partners have launched a "Smog Blog," designed to coordinate satellite air quality data for Central America and...
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.
Grounded Space Tourist Sues for $21 Million Refund
A grounded Japanese space tourist is suing for a refund.
Planck update in pictures
The Planck spacecraft has almost completed its final testing phase and is on its way to being launch-ready. The testing phase began in late March this year, and has taken...
Method of predicting clear air turbulence could make flights smoother in the future
It comes blasting out of the blue on your airplane flight: sudden bumpiness and sometimes even a violent plummeting. It arrives without warning, and it can be more than frightening,...
Are we trading energy conservation for toxic air emissions?
A team of Yale scientists has found that certain countries and some U.S. states stand to benefit from the use of compact fluorescent lighting more than others in the fight...
Taking a Norse to water: New clues to Viking voyages
The mouse could help lift the veil on how the Norwegian Vikings established a seafaring kingdom that ranged from the tip of Scotland and Iceland to Greenland and Newfoundland, scientists...
National Briefing | Washington: Discoveries on Mars Suggest Past Presence of Water
The NASA Phoenix spacecraft has discovered two minerals on Mars that suggest that water was there in the past.