Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Comet Hartley 2 leaves a bumpy trail
New findings from NEOWISE, the asteroid- and comet-hunting portion of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission, show that comet Hartley 2 leaves a pebbly trail as it laps the sun,...
Moonbows Over Yosemite Waterfalls Offer Dazzling Full Moon Sight
Moonbows, or lunar rainbows, are best seen at Yosemite during the full moon.
When minor planets Ceres and Vesta rock the Earth into chaos
Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing numerical simulations of the long-term evolution of the orbits of minor planets Ceres and Vesta, which are the largest bodies in the asteroid belt, between...
Puzzling Pulsar Grows a Tail 4 Light Years Long
Astronomers are baffled by what may be the tail of a spinning neutron star or pulsar named PSR JO357+3205, whose brightest point is well away from the star. Further observations...
New ways to measure magnetism around the sun
Those who study the sun face an unavoidable hurdle in their research – their observations must be done from afar. Relying on images and data collected from 90 million miles...
Astronauts woken up by second computer failure
(AP) -- After getting a little free time Thursday, the last space shuttle crew was woken up to deal with a second computer failure on Atlantis.
Ten new distant planets detected
OXFORD, England, July 14 (UPI) -- Astronomers using a French telescope say they've discovered 10 new distant planets, including twin Neptune-sized worlds and a rare Saturn-like planet.
Saturn moon color mystery explained
ITHACA, N.Y., July 14 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers say they've figured out origins of the mysterious colors of Saturn's moon Iapetus, bright white on one side and coal-black on...
New Spin Revealed on Mysterious Antimatter
The puzzling prevalence of matter over antimatter in the universe might be related to space-time warping.
Weatherwatch: What colour is the sun?
You should never look directly at the sun, as it will damage your eyes very quickly. But if you could look, what colour would you see? The answer turns out to be...
Human Spaceflight Faces Uncertain Future
As space flight advocates argue over whether the next manned mission should head to the Moon or Mars, many others wonder if human spaceflight has any future at all.
Bastille Day Solar Storm: Anatomy of a Gargantuan Sun Tempest
Here's a blow-by-blow of one of the most powerful solar storms in recent history.
Space Pictures This Week: Last Spacewalk, Saturn Storm, More
Astronauts take a milestone walk in space, a storm wraps around Saturn, and more in the best space pictures this week.
Probes to study moon in 3-D
On Sunday, July 17, the moon will acquire its second new companion in less than a month. That’s when the second of two probes built by the University of California,...
MAXI peers into black hole binaries
The Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image, or MAXI for short, spends its time aboard the ISS conducting a full sky survey every 92 minutes. Its sole purpose is to monitor...
Tsunami airglow signature could lead to early detection system
Researchers have recorded an airglow signature in the upper atmosphere produced by a tsunami using a camera system based in Maui, Hawaii. Coupling of the ocean surface to the upper...
New opportunity for AM radio
Radio broadcasters compete for airwave space in the saturated FM range, in detriment to AM wavebands with a poorer sound quality. Nevertheless, frequencies at wavebands less than 30 MHz (AM...
Stars observed in dizzying dance
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 13 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers say they've discovered a pair of white dwarfs, the burned-out cores of stars like our sun, spiraling around one another at...
The Devil In The Digital? Winning And Losing Through The Modern Environmental Experience
I’ve got to be honest. Graduate student life comes with awesome perks: flexible schedules, fun-loving coworkers, and amazing travel opportunities. But the green-eyed monster occasionally peers over my shoulder.read more
No more repairs for Hubble telescope
Launched in 1990 through the space shuttle Discovery, the Hubble telescope has captured the wonders of the solar system
NASA Hands Control of Space Station Science to Nonprofit
NASA is outsourcing management of the science research on the ISS to a nonprofit organization.
A Less Shocking Way to Reset a Broken Heart
Researchers find way to stop deadly fibrillation without a huge volt of electricity
Astronauts saluted by Elton 'Rocket Man' John
(AP) -- The astronauts making NASA's last space shuttle flight received best wishes Wednesday from the original "Rocket Man," Elton John.
Tiny Dancing Moon Combs Saturn's Hair
As Prometheus tangos past, particles in Saturn's outermost "F-Ring" resonate into long-patterned movements induced by the small moon's gravity. This animation shows glimpses of the effects over a 60+ day...
House Panel Denies Funding for Space Climate Probe, Satellite Constellation
The proposed 2012 spending bill would deny funds for the Deep Space Climate Observatory, among others.
Zubrin claims VASIMR is a hoax
A next-generation plasma rocket being developed by former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz called the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) has been touted as a way to get astronauts...
XCOR Lynx slated to fly new suborbital telescope
Commercial space company XCOR Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Planetary Science Institute, laying the groundwork for flying a human-operated telescope on board XCORs Lynx spacecraft. The...
How To Activate A Supermassive Black Hole
There were concerns among people who don't understand physics that the LHC might create a black hole and swallow the Earth. Obviously in an infinite Universe anything can happen...