Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
VIDEO: Large solar flare captured on camera
A large solar flare has been captured by NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory.
Space concepts enter competition
The European Space Agency (Esa) selects four new mission concepts to compete for a launch opportunity at the start of the 2020s.
Venus and the Moon Offer Early-Bird Skywatching Treat
Venus and the moon should give skywatchers a morning sky show on Monday.
Tightened budget brings layoffs at JPL
GLENDALE, Calif., Feb. 25 (UPI) -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., faces layoffs brought on by tighter federal budgets, officials said.
Mission to extra-solar planets approved
The European Space Agency has backed a £400 million pound mission to study extra-solar planets, led by UCL (University College London). A key objective of the mission is to...
All clear for weather satellites
European nations press ahead with their 3.4bn-euro (£2.9bn) project to build a next-generation weather satellite system.
NASA assesses new launch dates for the Glory mission
Preparations for the launch of NASA's Glory mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California have been suspended temporarily. Engineers continue to troubleshoot a malfunction in ground support equipment associated...
Fluttering Debris Slams Discovery Heat Shield
Three minutes and fifty seconds into the final ascent of Discovery, several large and many small pieces of debris - apparently External Tank insulation foam – careen between tank and...
Max Perutz: His life and legacy - video
A round-table discussion about the work of Max Perutz, who won a Nobel prize in 1962 for discovering the structure of haemoglobin
The mysterious rumble of thundersnow
NASA atmospheric scientists got an unexpected chance to study a curious phenomenon called "thundersnow" when a recent storm unleashed it right over their heads.
Robonaut 2 arrives at International Space Station
About 264 miles above the Earth, Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid robot developed by General Motors and the NASA Johnson Space Center, has finally begun its first mission.
Two Planets Discovered Sharing the Same Orbit
There's Room For Both Of Us In This Orbit NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech In a cosmic first, the Kepler telescope has discovered two planets sharing the same orbit. There is a theory that says our...
Planet birth witnessed for 1st time
For the first time ever, scientists believe they've detected the birth of a new world around a distant sun-like star.
NASA's Sky-Mapping Telescope Takes Last Starry Photo
NASA's WISE space telescope took its last photo of the sky on Feb. 1, 2011.
New European Mercury Probe Passes Oven Test
A new Mercury probe has survived a scorching test run in a giant oven, showing that the craft can withstand the hellish heat of the solar system's innermost planet. The...
Advanced NASA Instrument Gets Close-up on Mars Rocks
NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, will take a next generation "hands-on" look at rocks and soils to determine the chemical makeup near its landing zone.
Race to the Moon: 29 Private Teams Vie in Lunar Contest
29 teams are set to compete in the Google Lunar X Prize, a multimillion-dollar race to land a homemade robot on the moon. The competition is meant to spur development...
At Least Eight Private Spaceship Builders Make NASA's Shortlist
NASA is proceeding with plans to award roughly $200 million to commercial spaceflight companies bidding to carry humans to orbit.
Chu Asks Energy Maverick to Plug a Big Hole in the Department
From Tuesday’s The Hill: In a memo to staff Tuesday, Energy Secretary Steven Chu...
Asymmetric supernova explosions
Stars are balls of glowing gas, with a nearly spherical shape. Accordingly, one would expect that when some stars explode as supernovae at the end of their lives, the resulting...
Space Pictures This Week: Woolly Galaxy, Solar Flare, Shuttle
An island draped in sea ice, flares spurting from the sun, and dark landslides on the moon are featured among the week's best space pictures.
Want 'Watson' in the exam room?
Are you ready for Watson to join you and your doctor in the examining room? That could be the outcome of a collaboration under way between Watson's creators at IBM...
Scientists explore frontier of the 'aerosphere'
Using cutting-edge technology such as radar that can spot a bee dozens of miles away, scientists are exploring a vast frontier that may look like mostly empty space but is...
Playstation Users Can Watch NASA Shuttle Launch Live
This afternoon, people will be able to watch the Discovery Launch from their Playstation devices.
Huge Cargo Ship Arrives at Space Station Ahead of Shuttle Discovery
Europe's second robotic cargo ship delivered 7 tons of cargo to the space station today.
Telescope team plans to track the whole sky
Astronomers are assembling a global network of terrestrial satellites
Quasar's belch solves longstanding mystery (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- When two galaxies merge to form a giant, the central supermassive black hole in the new galaxy develops an insatiable appetite. However, this ferocious appetite is unsustainable.
The great moonbuggy race
Forty years after the first lunar rover rolled across the moon's surface, 84 teams of enterprising future engineers will demonstrate the same ingenuity and can-do spirit at the 18th annual...