Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Mars Exploration Rover heads toward 'Spirit Point'
When NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity reaches the rim of a large crater it is approaching, its arrival will come with an inspiring reminder. This crater, Endeavour, became the rover's...
Rosetta comet probe starts years-long space hibernation
The final command placing the European Space Agency's Rosetta comet-chaser into deep-space hibernation was sent June 8, 2011. With virtually all systems shut down, the probe will now coast for...
Ready to rumble: Taking on Titan's thunder
Future missions to the Saturn moon Titan may look for lightning in a novel way — by searching for its rumbling companion, thunder.
One Year Down for Isolated Mars500 Crew
Check in on the psyche of the six volunteers, who have now surpassed a year of simulated spaceflight inside a sealed set of modules near Moscow. The experiment is scheduled...
Science and the Race for the South Pole
In time for the 100th anniversary of the conquest of the South Pole, a history of Antarctic exploration through the lens of science.
Space-Time Ripples: How Scientists Could Detect Gravity Waves
Violent events like neutron star mergers could create these space-time ripples.
A supernova that's super different
A researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics believes that a new kind of supernova is at work in recent observations of bright but short-lasting stellar explosions that dont appear...
VIDEO: Time lapse shows how penguins huddle
The mystery of how penguins stay warm while they huddle has been revealed with time lapse footage.
Atlantis: Countdown to history
The shuttle rolls onto the launch pad as crews prepare to take it into space one last time
NASA to measure salt in world's oceans
PASADENA, Calif., June 2 (UPI) -- A NASA instrument will measure salt levels in Earth's oceans, a factor considered a key driver of ocean processes and the word's climate,...
Endeavour to reach LA home in late 2012
LOS ANGELES, June 2 (UPI) -- The shuttle Endeavour, after its recently complete last mission, is expected to arrive at its Los Angeles retirement in the latter half of...
Weatherwatch: When the risk of sunburn is at its worst
At this the time of year the sun is at its highest and the risk of sunburn is at its greatest. Despite all the publicity about covering up and using sunblock, it's...
Truck-Size Asteroid Zips Close to Earth
An asteroid the size of a small motorhome zoomed near Earth last night (June 1), coming closer to us than the moon sits.
Hunting for transits of Super-Earth GJ 581e
(PhysOrg.com) -- An international team of astronomers has ruled out transits of a water-rich or hydrogen-helium atmosphere planet for Gliese 581e. The host star itself is relatively quiet which means...
Spacecraft Sensors Could Detect Collisions
Detecting the sounds of damage aboard spacecraft could help avert disasters, researchers suggest.
LOFAR creates deeper images of universe than ever before
An international team led by astronomers at ASTRON and the Kapteyn Institute of the University of Groningen have used the LOFAR telescope, designed and constructed by ASTRON, to make the...
Earth Has Herky-Jerky Gravity
Orbiting our planet, spacecraft really take their lumps and bumps. Europe's GOCE satellite has produced the most detailed map of the Earth's gravitational field, helping scientists understand ocean circulation and...
Better hearing with spaced-apart ears
(PhysOrg.com) -- Detectors in the US, Germany and Italy are lying in wait to gather evidence that would unveil one of Albert Einsteins last secrets: gravitational waves. Up to now,...
Video: Man uses app to locate Macbook thief
Joshua Kaufman of Oakland, Calif., used theft-tracking software to take pictures of the man who supposedly stole his Macbook laptop. Jeff Glor reports.
Astronomers Nab $500,000 Prize for Hunting Elusive Dark Matter
Four astronomers who helped befuddle the world by discovering evidence for dark matter have won a prestigious cosmology prize.
Shuttles, Turning Sedentary, Leave Pieces Behind for Science and Safety
As NASA gets its space shuttles ready to be shipped out to museums, crews have been flooded with requests to squirrel away parts of the spacecraft for analysis.
UFOs Spotted Over California?
Does a new video reveal alien spacecraft flying over Oakland? Our UFO expert takes a look.
3-D model mimics volcanic blast
Cosmic Log: A new 3-D model that realistically mimics the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens is helping scientists understand the dynamics of such blasts and may help them map...
Twisted ring of gas orbits galactic center
The Herschel Space Observatory scanned the center of the galaxy in far-infrared and found a cool (in all senses of the word) twisting ring of rapidly orbiting gas clouds. The...
Tweetup at NASA's JPL Previews 2011 Missions
JPL will host a Tweetup on Monday, June 6, for more than 100 NASA Twitter followers, who registered in April. Portions will be broadcast live.
Voyager 1 measures magnetic mayhem
When Voyager 1 passed into the heliosheath in 2004, it became the first man-made object to explore the remote edge of the Suns magnetic influence. Launched by NASA on September...
Asteroid Moons Reveal Space Rock to Be Giant Rubble Pile
The asteroid Kleopatra two moons have revealed a great deal about the space rock's composition.
What to See - Fascinating Objects in the Night Sky
There are a great many wonders to see in the night sky. A telescope is your magic carpet, your time machine and much more.