Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Memorial image taken on Mars on Sept. 11, 2011
A view of a memorial to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center towers was taken on Mars on Sept. 11, 2011, on the 10th...
FAQ: Space Debris & Falling Space Junk Explained
A list of frequently asked questions about space debris and falling space junk.
'Old Faithful' Sunspot Keeps Spouting Off Big Solar Flares
Powerful solar storms have erupted in each of the last four days.
All the Gold We've Mined Came From Space, New Study Says
Earth During Late Heavy Bombardment Artist's impression of the Earth during the period of the terminal bombardment. Julian Baum/Take 27 LtdThe core of the Earth has its own native-grown, inaccessible wealth, though When...
New Photo of Moon's North Pole Reveals Spiral Illusion
The moon looks very different from the top down. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured thousands of photos of our satellite's north pole region.
9/11 Tributes Reach All the Way to Space, to Mars and Back
Pieces of the fallen World Trade Center towers now rest on Mars.
Russia blames 'chance' defect for space crash
Russia on Friday blamed a one-off production fault in a rocket engine for the crash of an unmanned spaceship last month but nevertheless ordered checks of all similar rocket motors.
When old stars slow down
In the Hollywood blockbuster “Speed,” a bomb on a bus is rigged to blow up if the bus slows down below 50 mph. The premise — slow down and you explode —...
Research team pinpoints location of elusive black hole using radio jets
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of Japanese astrophysicists and space scientists have found a way to more precisely describe where in space a very large, but distant black hole lies. In...
Supernova explosion will be visible from UK
Astronomers say light from supernova of dying star 21m light years away can be seen with binoculars or telescopeAn exploding star in a galaxy far from Earth should be visible from Britain...
Report: NASA must still train astronauts
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- NASA needs to keep the training pipeline for its astronaut corps intact to stabilize the ranks of U.S. agency astronauts, a report by an...
Room for nuclear energy in the future: new IEA chief
The new chief of the International Energy Agency Maria van der Hoeven said Wednesday nuclear power will have a place in the future despite the Fukushima catastrophe and the decision...
CERES continues legacy of cloud study on NPP
In October when NASA launches its next-generation Earth-observing satellite, NPP (NPOESS Preparatory Project), one of the passengers aboard will be the latest in a series of instruments that has studied...
Acoustic tests verify Orion’s sound engineering
Engineers have successfully completed the first of a series of acoustic tests on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) ground test vehicle, which consists of two major components of the...
Nobel winners urge Keystone rejection
Some of the world's best-known Nobel Peace Prize winners are urging U.S. President Barack Obama to reject a proposal to extend the Keystone XL pipeline.
Hubble to target 'Hot Jupiters'
An international team of astronomers has set out on the largest program to date exploring the alien atmospheres of "Hot Jupiters" -- massive planets in solar systems far away from...
Dusty Disk
This artist's conception shows a star with a dusty disk encircling it, yet to coalesce into planets.
Colorful Star Cluster Shines in Tarantula Nebula's Shadow
These stars are 15 million years old, and stand against a backdrop of glowing colored light from the Tarantula Nebula.
SCIENCE: Life Out There: Eden in a Test Tube
To better recognize extraterrestrial life should they come upon it, scientists are working to create simple life forms in a lab. But, as Dennis Overbye reports, they first have to...
Video: Pictures show Apollo footprints, tracks on moon
Four decades after man first walked on the moon, newly released photos show the footprints and rover prints left by Apollo 17 snapped by NASA's Lunar Orbiter. Jeff Glor reports.
Jumpy stars slow hunt for other Earths
Jumpy stars slow hunt for other EarthsNature News , 06092011 doi: 10.1038/477142aRon CowenNASA mission looks for extra time to battle stellar noise.
Baby Star Found on Earth's Doorstep
The nearest newborn sun may sport glowing planets
Ultrafast substorm auroras explained (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- From time to time, sudden releases of energy in Earth's magnetosphere lead to major disturbances that result in bright auroral displays over the planet's polar regions. These auroras...
Burning Man festival as seen from space
A European Space Agency satellite camera gets a close-up photo of Burning Man from 373 miles away
Where's the debris for transiting planets?
For many exoplanet systems that have been discovered by the radial velocity method, astronomers have found excess emission in the infrared portion of the spectrum. This has generally been interpreted as remnants of...
Unscrambling Climate Change: NASA's New Flying Eyes
NASA's NPP mission will carry a Visible/Infrared Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) that will take a close up look at hurricanes, forest fires, volcanoes, ocean color and more, giving scientists the ability...
Blazars
(PhysOrg.com) -- A blazar is a galaxy which, like a quasar, has an intensely bright central nucleus containing a supermassive black hole. In a blazar, however, the emitted light sometimes...
Microbe risk when rover wheels hit martian dirt
Earth microbes trying to make it to Mars must survive sterilization in NASA's clean rooms, harsh cosmic rays during months of space travel, and the Red Planet's unforgiving surface environment....