Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Best Space Photos of the Week – Dec.. 12, 2015
From a bright spot on Ceres to stargazer views of Comet Catalina, don't miss these amazing space images.
NASA telescopes detect Jupiter-like storm on small star
Astronomers have discovered what appears to be a tiny star with a giant, cloudy storm, using data from NASA's Spitzer and Kepler space telescopes. The dark storm is akin to...
Japan, North Korea secretly met to discuss abduction issue
Elizabeth ShimTOKYO, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Japan and North Korea secretly met in China several times to discuss Japanese nationals who were abducted in the 70s and 80s from coastal...
New imagery hints at origins of Jellyfish Nebula
Brooks HaysBOSTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Astronomers now have a better understanding of the history and evolution of the Jellyfish Nebula, thanks to images captured by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Top stories: Firing up the stellarator, dinosaur evolution, and where to look for life in the Milky Way
A roundup of the week’s hottest Science news
NASA spots phytoplankton bloom in North Atlantic
Brooks HaysWASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A mass of phytoplankton recently appeared near the ocean surface in the North Atlantic, growing large enough to be seen from space.
NASA's Curiosity rover reaches Martian sand dunes
Brooks HaysPASADENA, Calif., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Mars rover reached a series of sand dunes covering a lower portion of the layered Martian mountain inside Gale Crater.
Report of discovery of large object in far outer edges of solar system incites skeptical reactions
(Phys.org)—Two separate teams of researchers (one from Mexico, the other Sweden), have incited skepticism among the astronomy community by posting papers on the preprint server arXiv each describing a different...
Three ISS astronauts land back on Earth
Three astronauts from the United States, Russia and Japan on Friday successfully completed a rare nighttime landing on Earth in the wintry Kazakh steppe after returning from the International Space...
Hawaii's Telescope Controversy is the Latest in a Long History of Land-Ownership Battles
The current standoff between Native Hawaiian protesters and proponents of the planned Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) can take some lessons from similar disputes in the past -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' announcement trailer to debut Tuesday
Karen ButlerBURBANK, Calif., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The first announcement trailer for the "Harry Potter" prequel "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" will be unveiled Tuesday.
High-resolution repeat imaging allows detecting dynamic surface processes on Mars
(Phys.org)—Mars, which has constantly observed by space probes for over 40 years, still holds unresolved mysteries like its dynamic surface processes. The multitude of high-resolution images of the Red Planet...
Half of Kepler's Giant Exoplanet Candidates Are False Positives: Study
A team of astronomers followed up on 129 huge potential planets spotted by Kepler using a ground-based telescope and found that 52 percent of the objects are actually stars, while...
Wow! Spectacular Video Shows Test Launch of New Earth-Return Capsule
A rocket built by UP Aerospace launched on Nov. 6 from Spaceport America in New Mexico carrying four separate payloads, including a capsule called Maraia that NASA is developing to...
Rarity of Jupiter-like planets means planetary systems exactly like ours may be scarce
Is our little corner of the galaxy a special place? As of this date, we've discovered more than 1,500 exoplanets: planets orbiting stars other than our sun. Thousands more will...
Astronaut Trio En Route Back to Earth After Leaving ISS
Three astronauts including one American left the International Space Station early Friday and began their 250-mile descent back to Earth.
Brothers Chris and Liam Hemsworth prank each other on Instagram
Marilyn MalaraWASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The Hemsworth brothers, Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth, took to Instagram to play jokes on each other this week.
Repsol steps back from U.S. shale
Daniel J. GraeberMADRID, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Spanish energy company Repsol said it was offering up a portion of its holdings in a U.S. shale basin in favor of a...
French portrait
Earth observation image of the week: a Sentinel-2A image of Les Deux Alpes, also featured on the Earth from Space video programme
UPI Almanac for Friday, Dec. 11, 2015
By United Press International On Dec. 11, 1972, Apollo 17, the final mission of the Apollo program, landed on the moon.
A new space race: satellites could test the world's climate vows
PARIS (Reuters) - Scientists from the United States, Japan, and China are racing to perfect satellite technology that could one day measure greenhouse gas emissions from space, potentially transforming the...
NASA tests ICESat-2's laser aim
Close enough doesn't cut it in the spacecraft assembly cleanroom at NASA Goddard's Space Flight Center, where engineers are building an elevation-measuring instrument to fly on the Ice, Cloud and...
UAH Propulsion Research CenterPart of $50 Million NASA Contract
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is part of a team awarded a five-year NASA research contract valued at up to $50 million to develop, demonstrate and verify an...
Michelle Obama teams up with SNL star for rap video 'Go To College'
Amy R. ConnollyWASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- First lady Michelle Obama and Saturday Night Live star Jay Pharoah dropped some rhymes in a video encouraging college attendance.
Steve-O released early from 30-Day jail sentence
Wade SheridanLOS ANGELES, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- "Jackass" star Steve-O has been released from jail early after serving less than eight hours of a 30-day sentence following his anti-SeaWorld...
'The Martian' Snags 3 Golden Globe Nominations, Including 'Best Comedy'
"The Martian" earned nods for Best Director (Ridley Scott), Best Actor (Damon) and Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced today (Dec. 10).
'The Legend of Tarzan' releases action-packed first trailer
Annie MartinLOS ANGELES, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Alexander Skarsgard and Margot Robbie portray Tarzan and Jane in a first trailer for David Yates film "The Legend of Tarzan" co-starring Christoph...
Sylvester Stallone shares video of Michael B. Jordan getting knocked out for 'Creed'
Wade SheridanPHILADELPHIA, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Actor Michael B. Jordan went all out for his starring role in "Rocky" spin-off "Creed" according to a new video posted by Sylvester Stallone.