Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Merry Moon: Rare full moon on Christmas Day
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Gaze up into the sky and you'll see something rare. And, no, it won't be Santa. He and his reindeers...
Gullies on Mars sculpted by dry ice rather than liquid water
Mars's gullies may be formed by dry ice processes rather than flowing liquid water, as previously thought. Scientists show that, during late winter and spring, underneath the seasonal CO2 ice...
'Miss Universe' executive wants Steve Harvey to return in 2016
Marilyn MalaraLAS VEGAS, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Mark Shapiro, the chief content officer of WME IMG, which put on this year's Miss Universe pageant, believes Steve Harvey deserves a second...
Jefferson Lab Accelerator delivers its first 12 GeV electrons
The newly upgraded accelerator at the US Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has delivered full-energy electrons as part of commissioning activities for the ongoing 12 GeV Upgrade...
Teresa Giudice freed after 11-month prison term
Marilyn MalaraDANBURY, N.J., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star Teresa Giudice has been released from prison after nearly a year-long sentence.
Einstein's Cross under the gravitational microlens
A Spanish research team has obtained measurements for the innermost region of a disc of matter in orbital motion around a supermassive black hole in the quasar known as Einstein's...
Cassini completes final close Enceladus flyby
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has begun transmitting data and images from the mission's final close flyby of Saturn's active moon Enceladus. Cassini passed Enceladus at a distance of 3,106 miles (4,999...
Limit to how big black holes can grow is astonishing
Astronomers calculate largest size for cosmic beasts
Tangled magnetic fields help explain star formation
Brooks HaysCHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- A new study suggests the stellar material swirling around a very young protostar is pulling in magnetic fields from its surroundings.
How to See Comet Catalina in the Early-Morning Sky
If you have already received, or expect to receive, binoculars or a telescope for the holidays, you're in luck. During the next several weeks, you'll have an interesting target to...
NASA team moves closer to building a 3-D printed rocket engine
A NASA team moved a step closer to building a completely 3-D printed, high-performance rocket engine by manufacturing complex engine parts and test firing them together with cryogenic liquid hydrogen...
Toddler interrupts parents' wedding to announce, 'I have to poo!'
Ben HooperTANUDA, Australia, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- An Australian couple found themselves upstaged during their own wedding by their 3-year-old son, who interrupted the ceremony to announce: "I have to...
Can electric signals in Earth’s atmosphere predict earthquakes?
Scientists debate forecasting method at recent meeting
New study details skeleton of the Milky Way galaxy
Brooks HaysBOSTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Researchers with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics claim to have traced the "skeletal structure" of the Milky Way galaxy.
Earth's Extreme Tilt Marks the Winter Solstice
Tonight the sun will be directly overhead at 23.5 degrees south latitude, and the Earth's axial tilt will be as far from the sun as possible.
John Boyega surprises fans at 'Star Wars' screenings
Wade SheridanNEW YORK, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- {i:Star Wars: The Force Awakens} star John Boyega has been surprising fans during and after screenings of the film over its opening weekend.
Black box data may not be recoverable from Russian fighter plane downed by Turkey
Ed AdamczykMOSCOW, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The Russian fighter jet shot down by Turkey has yielded a flight recorder box with mostly unreadable data, investigators revealed.
Mars' Sweeping Dunes Steal the Show in 1st Close-Up View
It's a familiar view to those who watched Matt Damon's character Mark Watney fight for survival in "The Martian," yet it's one we've never actually seen up close until now:...
British Aurora Borealis: Northern Lights imaged across England
Brooks HaysRUTLAND, England, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, paid a visit to portions of England on Sunday evening.
Congress repeals country of origin labeling for meat
Scott SmithWASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- It will be hard to tell where your beef and pork comes from with the repeal of the country of origin labeling in the...
New NATO UAV completes flight test
Ryan MaassPALMDALE, Calif., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman and NATO officials conducted and completed a flight test for the first NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Aircraft.
Pamela Anderson joins Miley Cyrus in concert
Annie MartinLOS ANGELES, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Pamela Anderson joined a "topless" Miley Cyrus onstage at the singer's final "Dead Petz" show days after Cyrus' topless Plastik covers debuted.
Michigan State Football: 'Spirit of Detroit' becomes a Spartan
Alex ButlerDETROIT, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The state of Michigan isn't all maize and blue.
Police: Santa enters through the drive-through window, robs KFC
Ben HooperALFRETON, England, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Santa Claus is known for entering through chimneys, but British police said a not-so-jolly St. Nick climbed in a KFC drive-through window and...
Daughter of NASCAR crew chief dies in crash
Alex ButlerASHEBORO, N.C., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- BK Racing crew chief Joe Williams heard the worst imaginable news Saturday.
The skeleton of the Milky Way
Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is a typical barred spiral galaxy, a flattened disk of about a hundred billion stars, gas, and dust that is roughly one hundred thousand...
Potatoes on Mars: Setting course for Martian farming
A team of world-class scientists will grow potatoes under Martian conditions in a bid to save millions of lives. The experiment, led by the International Potato Center (CIP) and NASA,...
From Bee Larvae to Toilet Rats, Our Favorite Videos of 2015
We were surprised, shocked, and awed by these videos, from National Geographic explorers and beyond.