Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
SpaceX rolls out new Starship prototype for tests (video)
SpaceX moved its latest Starship prototype to its proving grounds in Texas Thursday (April 23) for a new round of spacecraft tests.
Promising signs for Perseverance rover in its quest for past Martian life
New research indicates river delta deposits within Mars' Jezero crater -- the destination of NASA' Perseverance rover on the Red Planet -- formed over time scales that promoted habitability and...
The 2020 Lyrid meteor shower thrills skywatchers. Here are the best photos.
The annual Lyrid meteor shower put on an exceptional show for skywatchers this year, with the new moon setting the stage for gorgeous "shooting stars" to prance across the dark...
Researchers use 'hot Jupiter' data to mine exoplanet chemistry
After spotting a curious pattern in scientific papers -- they described exoplanets as being cooler than expected -- astronomers have improved a mathematical model to accurately gauge the temperatures of...
Researchers use 'hot Jupiter' data to mine exoplanet chemistry
After spotting a curious pattern in scientific papers—they described exoplanets as being cooler than expected—Cornell University astronomers have improved a mathematical model to accurately gauge the temperatures of planets from...
Hungry galaxies grow fat on the flesh of their neighbors
Galaxies grow large by eating their smaller neighbors, new research reveals. Exactly how massive galaxies attain their size is poorly understood, not least because they swell over billions of years....
Star Survives Close Call with a Black Hole
Portal origin URL: Star Survives Close Call with a Black HolePortal origin nid: 460183Published: Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 13:00Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: Astronomers may have discovered a new kind...
Scientists use Apollo data to create the best geologic moon map ever
A new map has provided the blueprints for the moon, revealing the true nature of Earth's rocky companion.
Hubble Space Telescope at 30: Astronaut Mike Massimino looks back at fixing a space icon
Thirty years ago this week — on April 24, 1990 — the Hubble Space Telescope launched into space and opened humanity's eyes to the cosmos. Here's what it was like...
How waves and turbulence maintain the super-rotation of Venus atmosphere
Venus has a thick atmosphere that rotates 60 times as fast as the surface, a phenomenon known as super-rotation. We use data obtained from the orbiting Akatsuki spacecraft to investigate...
Atmospheric tidal waves maintain Venus' super-rotation
Images from the Akatsuki spacecraft unveil what keeps Venus's atmosphere rotating much faster than the planet itself.
Asteroid visiting Earth's neighborhood brings its own face mask
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is following an asteroid approaching Earth this week and while it poses no threat, it appears to know our planet is facing a pandemic.
Promising signs for Perseverance rover in its quest for past Martian life
Undulating streaks of land visible from space reveal rivers once coursed across the Martian surface—but for how long did the water flow? Enough time to record evidence of ancient life,...
Stargazing in your backyard is easy with these apps and gear
What you need to get started in exploring the night sky. Even basic binoculars will do
Astronomers find formula for subsurface oceans in exomoons
So far, the search for extraterrestrial life has focused on planets at a distance from their star where liquid water is possible on the surface. But within our Solar System,...
The International Space Station: Keeping an eye on earth
Earth's climate is the product of many rich and complex systems. It's affected by water in its many forms; on land, in the air, in the oceans, and as ice....
Supernova remnant N132D investigated in detail
Researchers from Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) have conducted detailed spectroscopy of N132D—an X-ray bright supernova remnant (SNR) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Results of the study, presented in...
Dutch tulip fields come into bloom
Image: Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, these beautiful views from space show the Dutch tulip fields coming into bloom.
Promising signs for Perseverance rover in its quest for past Martian life
Undulating streaks of land visible from space reveal rivers once coursed across the Martian surface – but for how long did the water flow? Enough time to record evidence of...
Watch: LL Cool J says Beastie Boys helped launch his career on 'Tonight Show'
LL Cool J discussed how Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys helped kickstart his career while appearing on "The Tonight Show."
Mars confinement tips
Video: 00:13:34 In these times of confinement, ESA astronaut support engineer Romain Charles shares nine tips on how to live in isolation – he spent 520 days locked in a mockup spacecraft...
Neil deGrasse Tyson ponders the fate of planet Earth in 'Cosmos: Possible Worlds' finale
In the final episode of "Cosmos: Possible Worlds," Neil deGrasse Tyson pays homage to Carl Sagan and ponders the possible futures of planet Earth.
Is life a gamble? Scientist models universe to find out
Scientists suspect that the complex life that slithers and crawls through every nook and cranny on Earth emerged from a random shuffling of non-living matter that ultimately spit out the...
Tiny, levitating 'nanocardboard' aircraft could explore Mars one day
Tiny, levitating "nanocardboard" flyers could one day explore the dusty red surface of Mars.
'PANOSETI' prototypes: Ambitious alien-hunting project deploys 1st two telescopes
The first two prototype telescopes for the ambitious PANOSETI project are up and running.
EXPRES looks to the skies of a scorching, distant planet
Yale technology is giving astronomers a closer look at the atmosphere of a distant planet where it's so hot the air contains vaporized metals.
Arizona meteorite fall points researchers to source of LL chondrites
The Dishchii'bikoh meteorite fall in the White Mountain Apache reservation in central Arizona has given scientists a big clue to finding out where so-called LL chondrites call home. They report...
New discovery: First asteroid population from outside our solar system
Ka'epaoka'awela asteroid surprised the world in 2018: It was the first object in the solar system that was demonstrated to be of extrasolar origin. But now, the researchers who discovered...