Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
President Obama praised San Bernardino victims' families for strength, unity
Amy R. ConnollySAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama met Friday with the first responders and family members of victims of the...
All Hail Mimas: Our 'Death Star' Moon
It's not in a galaxy far, far away or even another star system — this alien world is right in our planetary backyard, a mere 900 million miles away in...
Hubble's 'Einstein Cross' Supernova Strikes Back
An ancient supernova that was serendipitously captured in four Hubble space telescope images thanks to a naturally occurring cosmic magnifying lens has reappeared, as astronomers predicted.
Justin Bieber, Iggy Azalea, Stevie Wonder sing 'Joy To The World' with James Corden
Marilyn MalaraLOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- "Late Late Show" host James Corden celebrated this year's holiday season Thursday night with a special Carpool Karaoke rendition of "Joy To The...
UPI horse racing weekend preview
By Robert Kieckhefer, UPI Racing WriterWASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- As the Thoroughbred racing calendar winds to a close, attention is already focused on 2016, starting in Dubai; in the...
Black holes could grow as large as 50 billion suns before their food crumbles into stars, research shows
Black holes at the heart of galaxies could swell to 50 billion times the mass of the sun before losing the discs of gas they rely on to sustain themselves,...
In possible St. Louis finale, Rams buck Tampa Bay Buccaneers
By Bucky Dent, The Sports Xchange ST. LOUIS -- The fans didn't quite pack the Edward Jones Dome on Thursday night, but the 51,295 who came to what might be...
Kurt Russell, Sarah Paulson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus read mean tweets
Marilyn MalaraLOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Jimmy Kimmel's "Mean Tweets" segment featured Kurt Russell, Sarah Paulson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and more reading mean notes about their stardom.
Putin: Turkey downing Russian jet was 'hostile act'
Andrew V. PestanoMOSCOW, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin described Turkey's shooting down of a Russian fighter jet a "hostile act" during a mass press conference in Moscow.
Quasar outburst revises understanding of universe, quasars
An outburst from a distant quasar known as PKS 1441+25 in April of this year gave astronomers at the gamma-ray telescope VERITAS an opportunity to measure the density of the...
Giant planets carving paths around four young stars, observations suggest
Astronomers have found the clearest evidence yet that giant planets have recently formed around four young stars. These new worlds, each presumably several times more massive than Jupiter, were inferred...
'Love Actually' script editor reveals what happens after film's ending
Wade SheridanLONDON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Emma Freud, the script editor and wife of "Love Actually" writer and director Richard Curtis has revealed the secret fate of some of the...
LL Cool J tapped to host the Grammy Awards gala for a fifth year
Karen ButlerLOS ANGELES, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- LL Cool J is to return as host of the Grammy Awards ceremony for a fifth, consecutive year.
Valencia is home to the first desert-like microbial community found in a city
Researchers at the Universitat de València (Universiity of Valencia, UV) have discovered that besides accumulating microorganisms from the air and dust particles, photovoltaic solar panels can also harbour rich and...
Ingalls launches guided missile destroyer Ralph Johnson
Ryan MaassPASCAGOULA, Miss., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Ingalls Shipbuilding launched its 30th Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Ralph Johnson.
Russia demands compensation for jet downed by Turkey
Ed AdamczykMOSCOW, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Turkey should compensate Russia for the November downing of a Russian fighter plane, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov said Wednesday.
Catch this season's 'other' comet—S2 PanSTARRS
Now is the time to catch binocular Comet C/2014 S2 PanSTARRS, as it tops +8 magnitude ahead of predictions this month and crosses circumpolar northern skies. Will this Christmas comet...
8 injured as Southwest plane leaves Nashville runway
Ed AdamczykNASHVILLE, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 left the runway after landing at Nashville International Airport, injuring at least eight passengers, officials said.
Undead and Mythological Creatures Inspire New Names for Stars, Alien Planets
Fourteen distant stars and 31 alien planets are getting new names that have been selected and voted on by members of the public — including names that refer to fictional...
History of Andromeda galaxy studied through stellar remains
The Andromeda galaxy (or M31) is the massive galaxy nearest to us, and it is an excellent laboratory to study the characteristics and the history of great galactic spirals such...
James Woods survives seven-car accident in Colorado
Sheri ElfmanGLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- James Wood survived a scary seven car crash on an icy Colorado highway and detailed the incident on {link:Twitter.: "https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods",nw}
‘Hot Jupiters’ spotted forming close to their suns
Astronomers spy several solar systems in the making
UPI Almanac for Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015
By United Press International On Dec. 16, 1907, America's "Great White Fleet" set out on its year-long circumnavigation of the globe on the order of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Lamar Odom's downfall tops Google's list of 2015 searches
Lamar Odom's bizarre downfall from a former Los Angeles Lakers star to a lost soul in a Nevada brothel had the world searching Google for answers more than any other...
Aaron Donald has chance to shine on national stage
By Howard Balzer, The Sports Xchange Last season, Donald took home the award for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Jet traffic linked to ice haze
Aeroplanes may be making a high-altitude icy haze that is brightening US skies, according to a group of scientists.
Global nuclear watchdog votes unanimously to close book on Iran's nuclear past
Doug G. WareVIENNA, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The world's nuclear regulatory watchdog voted Tuesday to halt its investigation into Iran's past nuclear activity in favor of moving forward with the...
Video: Infrared movies capture hummingbirds shedding heat in flight
Imaging reveals that the birds lose excess heat from their feet, eyes, and wingpits