Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Solar panels for NASA's Juno spacecraft complete testing
The three massive solar panels that will provide power for NASA's Juno spacecraft during its mission to Jupiter have seen their last photons of light until they are deployed in...
Stars help researchers track space junk
Researchers have developed a method to track the movement of geostationary objects using the position of the stars, which could help to monitor space debris. The technique can be used...
New water finding baffles moon scientists
Discovery raises questions about aspects of the "giant impact theory" of how the moon was created
Four Planets Align Near Moon on Memorial Day Weekend
Look to the skies this Memorial Day weekend to see four planets near the moon.
Video Shows SpaceShipTwo's First Feathered Re-Entry Test
A video shows why future space tourists flying with Virgin Galactic can relax during descent.
Spitzer sees crystal 'rain' in outer clouds of infant star
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tiny crystals of a green mineral called olivine are falling down like rain on a burgeoning star, according to observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Measuring galaxy black hole masses
(PhysOrg.com) -- Black holes, one of the most amazing and bizarre predictions of Einstein's theory of gravity, are irresistible sinks for matter and energy. They are so dense that not...
NASA's Good Ship Endeavour: Two Captains in Space and at Sea
Two ships named Endeavour will take historic voyages simultaneously this month. One will fly to space, while the other will sail the sea.
Mars 'remains in embryonic state'
A study suggests Mars formed in record time, growing to its present size in just three million years - much quicker than previously thought.
New hope of detecting gravitational waves: Final piece of Einstein's jigsaw puzzle
Direct evidence of the existence of gravitational waves is something that has long eluded researchers. However, new research has suggested that adding just one of the proposed detectors in Japan,...
Paolo’s wild ride down
For the first time since his landing on Tuesday, ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli was again in the public eye yesterday at a press conference. A smiling Paolo talked about his...
Space Pictures This Week: Lone Star, Shining Spirit
A stellar giant sits alone, astronauts return home, a Mars rover ends its run, and more in our editors' picks of the best new space shots.
Venezuela, China to launch satellite next year
Venezuela and China will develop an observation satellite to be built in Asia and launched from South America in 2012, according to Venezuela's science and technology minister.
Tohoku quake coincided with sky 'anomalies'
Researchers link infrared and ionosphere anomalies to Japan's biggest quake
New Robot Spaceship Gets Brainy Name: Albert Einstein
Europe's newest space truck will be named after science great Albert Einstein.
YouTube chemistry sensations share formula for success
It started on an impulse, made unlikely YouTube stars of its scientific presenters and has grown to a global audience of more than 15 million.
Observatory: Sloppiness Aside, Dogs Are Sophisticated Drinkers Too
A report last year on cats’ gravity-defying lapping mechanism surmised that dogs just crudely scoop up liquids. Not so, researchers now say.
Images of ash cloud particles released
Scientists in Aberdeen release images of volcanic glass particles from Iceland which fell in the city after the Grimsvotn eruption.
Babies Predict New and Complex Events
Year-old babies who watched these videos depicting bouncing objects are able to accurately predict the object that will most likely bounce out of the enclosure, a new study finds.
Reindeer see a weird and wonderful world of ultraviolet light
Researchers have discovered that the ultraviolet (UV) light that causes the temporary but painful condition of snow blindness in humans is life-saving for reindeer in the arctic.
Did Quiet Sun Cause Little Ice Age After All?
New evidence suggest the sun really did dim during the 17th century
Astronaut eager for video chat with Giffords
Mark Kelly to show his congresswoman wife cosmic views of spaceship and planet Earth as she recuperates from brain surgery
UK and European space agencies give a go for Skylon spaceplane
After 30 years of development, the UK and European space agencies have given a go for the Skylon Spaceplane.
Roberto Vittori and STS-134 crew - watch the replay
ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori, currently aboard the International Space Station on his DAMA mission, talked to the press today, together with other members of the STS-134 crew. The event was...
Nature's best magnifying glass views eary spiral galaxy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers in Hawaii have plucked unprecedented details from the life of an early galaxy using an unusually lucid gravitational lens coupled with the powerful 10-meter Keck II Telescope...
Rep. Giffords' Astronaut Husband to Share Views of Earth From Space
Shuttle commander Mark Kelly will make a video call to his wife Gabrielle Giffords tonight.
Lifeguarding Spacecraft the European Way
Spaceships and satellites can encounter stormy "seas" of debris, radiation and electromagnetic fields. Europe's space situation awareness program is anchoring new technologies and procedures to keep spacecraft afloat.
NASA scientists on the trail of mystery molecules
(PhysOrg.com) -- Space scientists working to solve one cosmic mystery at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., now have the capability to better understand unidentified matter in deep space....