Latest science news in Astronomy & Space

Asteroids, Hydrogen Make Great Recipe for Life on Mars

7 years ago from

Laser blasts in lab tests suggest asteroid bombardment could have provided key ingredients for life on ancient Mars.

'Space Butterfly' Is Home to Hundreds of Baby Stars

7 years ago from

Imaged by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, this magnificent nebula resembles a butterfly floating through space and was formed by the stars that were born, lived and died in it.

NASA's Cassini Finds Saturn's Rings Coat Tiny Moons

7 years ago from

NASA's Cassini spacecraft gave scientists the closest-ever look at the mini-moons near Saturn - and new data that helps explain their weird shape and what they're made of.

NASA's Mars Helicopter Completes Flight Tests

7 years ago from

The first helicopter to fly on Mars had its first flight on Earth.

Europa Clipper High-Gain Antenna Undergoes Testing

7 years ago from

The indoor Experimental Test Range at NASA's Langley Research Center is putting a Europa Clipper antenna prototype through its paces, before the mission to Jupiter's moon.

Satellites Image Mozambique Flooding After Cyclone

7 years ago from

Multiple satellites captured imagery of post-cyclone flooding in Mozambique.

More Than a Carbon Copy: OCO-3 on the Space Station

7 years ago from

OCO-3 will bring a new vantage point, new techniques and new technologies to NASA's carbon dioxide observations.

Curiosity Captured Two Solar Eclipses on Mars

7 years ago from

Observing the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos crossing in front of the Sun helps scientists better understand their orbits.

NASA Garners 7 Webby Award Nominations

7 years ago from

Nominees include four JPL projects: the solar system and climate websites, InSight social media, and a 360-degree Earth video. Public voting closes April 18, 2019.

Jupiter's Atmosphere Heats up under Solar Wind

7 years ago from

Auroras at Jupiter's poles are heating the atmosphere, and it's a rapid response to solar wind.

Black Hole Image Makes History

7 years ago from

The first-ever image of a black hole's shadow has been revealed. NASA telescopes helped characterize the black hole's environment.

NASA's Dawn Mission Honored by Space Foundation

7 years ago from

The historic mission is the 2019 winner of the John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration.

NASA Invests in Potentially Revolutionary Tech Concepts

7 years ago from

New technology that could support missions to the surface of Venus is one of many concepts chosen for the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program.

NEOWISE Celebrates Five Years of Asteroid Data

7 years ago from

The five years of data from NASA's NEOWISE mission have significantly advanced knowledge of asteroids and comets in the solar system, as well as of stars and galaxies beyond.

Curiosity Tastes First Sample in 'Clay-Bearing Unit'

7 years ago from

This new region on Mars might reveal more about the role of water on Mount Sharp.

10 Things You Should Know About Planetary Defense

7 years ago from

Near-Earth objects (NEOs) are asteroids and comets that orbit the Sun like the planets, but their orbits can bring them within 30 million miles of Earth's orbit.

NASA's Cassini Reveals Surprises with Titan's Lakes

7 years ago from

During the spacecraft's last look at Titan, scientists gathered data that reveal what fills the moon's northern lakes - and how deep they are.

NASA Invites You to 'Picture Earth' for Earth Day

7 years ago from

Our magnificent planet is always ready for its close-up. For Earth Day, NASA wants to see your take.

Things Are Stacking up for NASA's Mars 2020 Spacecraft

7 years ago from

As the July 2020 launch date inches closer, the next spacecraft headed to the Red Planet is assembled for more testing.

NASA's InSight Detects First Likely 'Quake' on Mars

7 years ago from

While their causes are still unknown, one of three shaking events looks a lot like the quakes detected on the Moon by the Apollo missions.

NASA Social Media and Websites Win Webby Awards

7 years ago from

NASA's social media presence, the InSight mission social media accounts, NASA.gov and SolarSystem.NASA.gov will be honored at the 2019 Webby Awards - "the Oscars of the Internet."

The Giant Galaxy Around the Giant Black Hole

7 years ago from

Shockwaves in space, created by a supermassive black hole that recently had its first close-up, are visible in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

NASA, FEMA, International Partners Plan Asteroid Impact Exercise

7 years ago from

Next week, NASA will participate in a "tabletop exercise" that will play out a realistic - but fictional - scenario of an asteroid on an impact trajectory with Earth.

NASA's AIRS Images Cyclone Kenneth over Mozambique

7 years ago from

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, aboard the Aqua satellite, captures the powerful storm just before landfall over the African nation.

OCO-3 Ready to Extend NASA's Study of Carbon

7 years ago from

Headed soon for the space station, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 will observe near-global measurements of carbon dioxide over land and sea.

Scientists Planning Now for Asteroid Flyby a Decade Away

7 years ago from

On April 13, 2029, asteroid Apophis will cruise harmlessly by Earth at distance of about 19,000 miles (31,000 kilometers). Scientists are already planning observations and science opportunities for the event.

InSight Captures Sunrise and Sunset on Mars

7 years ago from

InSight joins the rest of NASA's Red Planet surface missions, all of which have photographed either the start or end of a Martian day.

Data with Flippers? Studying the Ocean from a Seal's POV

7 years ago from

A JPL visiting scientist is using an unexpected source of information about small-scale ocean features around Antarctica.