Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
NASA awards $350,000 in glove competition
TITUSVILLE, Fla., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- NASA says it has awarded Peter Homer of Southwest Harbor, Maine, a $250,000 first-place prize for developing more flexible space gloves for use...
New NASA Sky Mapper Heads to Launch Pad
NASA's new asteroid-hunting spacecraft will roll out to the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Nov. 20 in preparation for launch.
NASA satellite maps Ida rainfall
GREENBELT, Md., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- NASA says its Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite measured last week's heavy rainfall that drenched the U.S. east coast.
Second Planned Extrication Drive is Straight Ahead Again
(PhysOrg.com) -- Because the first extrication drive for Spirit, on Sol 2088 (Nov. 17), stopped as soon as it began due to an exceeded tilt limit, the plan for an...
Sun may not be a 'Goldilocks' star
The stars that are just right to support life might be dimmer and longer-lived than the sun
World's Largest Radio Telescope Network Goes Live
Radio telescopes on all seven continents combine to observe quasars for cosmic reference frame.
New Experiment to Test Super Teflon in Space
A new Teflon and other nanomaterials will launch to the space station and undergo testing under the extremes of radiation and temperature.
Baffling boxy bulge
When targeting spiral galaxy bulges, astronomers often seek edge-on galaxies, as their bulges are more easily distinguishable from the disc. This exceptionally detailed edge-on view of NGC 4710 taken by...
Ticking stellar time bomb identified
'One of the major problems in modern astrophysics is the fact that we still do not know exactly what kinds of stellar system explode as a Type Ia supernova,' says...
Dawn enters asteroid belt - for good
NASA's Dawn spacecraft re-entered our solar system's asteroid belt 13 November and this time it will stay there...
Infrared telescope to detect dim, dusty objects
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - NASA plans next month to launch a space telescope that will scan the heavens for the infrared glow of celestial objects never seen because they are...
China Joins Thirty Meter Telescope Project
(PhysOrg.com) -- The National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) has joined the Thirty Meter Telescope Project (TMT). As an Observer, China will participate in planning the...
COBE Satellite Marks 20th Anniversary
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite rocketed into Earth orbit on Nov. 18, 1989, and quickly revolutionized our understanding of the early cosmos. Developed and built at Goddard...
Texas Tech Professors Available to Explain International Search For Rosetta Stone of Physics
Researchers hope to solve some of the universe's most mind-blowing riddles.
Sea Star Swells With Tides
A sea star sucks in ocean water to keep cool on the shoreline.
Nasa lets web users explore Mars for themselves
Nasa launches a website that allows users to play games while at the same time sorting through its image archive of Mars.
NASA to Test Drills for Cutting Ice on Mars
NASA's IceBite team is ready to test drills designed to cut ice on Mars.
NASA, Microsoft create 'Martian' Web site
PASADENA, Calif., Nov. 17 (UPI) -- NASA and the Microsoft Corp. say they've created the "Be a Martian" Web site where Internet users can have fun while advancing their...
Oceans on Europa Have Enough Oxygen to Support Space Fish
Is Jupiter's moon populated by watery aliens? Thanks to a surface covered in liquid water, Jupiter's moon Europa serves as the prime suspect for bodies in our solar system harboring extraterrestrial life. For...
Ticking stellar time bomb identified
"One of the major problems in modern astrophysics is the fact that we still do not know exactly what kinds of stellar system explode as a Type Ia supernova," says...
EIT waves and coronal magnetic field diagnosis
Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University in Nanjing, China -- Solar coronal seismology based on magnetic field-line stretching model of "EIT waves" is proposed, which is demonstrated to be potentially...
Bubbling, Boiling Sun Photographed in Detail
SUNRISE telescope images sun's surface from Earth's stratosphere.
Alma antennas collect first data
The Alma observatory in Chile collects its first measurements from the telescope site, which is located 5,300m up in the Andes.
Seamount diary: November 2009
IUCN scientists sail into the southern Indian Ocean to unveil the mysteries of little-explored underwater seamounts.
Antarctic staff get too much sun
Research has revealed that 80 per cent of Antarctic workers are exposed to unsafe levels of solar ultraviolet radiation.
Soil Experts to Discuss Terroir, the Link between Earth and Wine on Nov. 19 in DC
A Congressional educational briefing and wine tasting Nov. 19 in Washington, DC, will shed light on how the balance of vineyard management and site selection blend together to provide distinctive...
NASA 'Drops' Next Generation Robotic Lander During Autonomous Tests
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA has successfully completed a series of autonomous "drop" tests of a robotic lander test article - in a record 10 months - to demonstrate the ability to...
Shuttle Crew Includes Surgeon, Ex-NFL Pick
Grandson of Amelia Earhart's Personal Photographer also Among Atlantis Astronauts