Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Red giant stars that eat planets might shine less brightly
When giant stars eat giant planets, their starlight may shine a bit less brightly. That dimming could affect how astronomers measure distances across the universe — and possibly even put past measurements in...
Trailblazing astronomer Margaret Burbidge, who helped reveal what happens inside stars, dies at 100
Margaret Burbidge, an astronomer who made vital contributions to our understanding of what happens inside stars and who worked on instruments that flew on the Hubble Space Telescope, has died...
A spacecraft headed to Mercury will observe the moon this week during an Earth flyby
The moon will stun Earthling skywatchers this evening (April 7) with the biggest full moon of the year, but later this week humans will catch a very different view of...
Boeing will redo botched test for Starliner crew capsule
Boeing said Monday it will repeat a test flight of its astronaut capsule following last year's botched demo, considered a perilous close call by NASA.
Take a coronavirus break and check out tonight's supermoon
Look up! The largest supermoon of the year will grace the skies Tuesday night, and NASA is encouraging everyone to see it.
'Super Pink Moon' rises tonight! Teach your kids about the biggest full moon of 2020
Tonight (April 7), if you look up at the night sky, you'll see the "Super Pink Moon," the biggest supermoon of the year, shining big and bright.
Boeing to redo test flight of uncrewed Starliner spaceship
Boeing will relaunch an uncrewed test flight of its Starliner spaceship, the company said Monday, after an earlier mission failed due to multiple glitches.
What makes Saturn's atmosphere so hot
The upper layers in the atmospheres of gas giants—Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune—are hot, just like Earth's. But unlike Earth, the Sun is too far from these outer planets to...
Boeing plans to retest Starliner flight after botched mission
Boeing Co said on Monday it would send its Starliner astronaut spacecraft on another unmanned mission to the International Space Station, months after its last flight was cut short because...
Jim Lovell: NASA astronaut and Apollo 13 commander
Jim Lovell flew on four missions to space, saw the moon twice and almost died on Apollo 13.
Boeing will launch a 2nd uncrewed test flight of its Starliner spacecraft for NASA
Boeing announced Monday (April 6) that it will conduct a second uncrewed flight test of its Starliner capsule for astronauts after a problematic debut in December 2019.
What smacked Uranus on its side? Something icy and as massive as Earth, scientists say.
Astronomers have worked out details of the giant impact that knocked Uranus so famously askew.
Boeing will redo Starliner capsule’s uncrewed test flight
Boeing announced Monday it will redo the uncrewed flight test of its new Starliner space capsule after the first test flight failed to reach the International Space Station.
California has enough ventilators, coronavirus peak expected in May, Newsom says
Gov. Gavin Newsom says California is lending 500 ventilators to the Strategic National Stockpile to help New York and other coronavirus hot spots.
Year's biggest supermoon to light up Tuesday's night sky
Tuesday night's full moon will be the biggest of the year, as the moon is quite close to its perigee, its closest approach to Earth.
Catch this week's supermoon, biggest and brightest of year
A supermoon rises in the sky this week, looking to be the biggest and brightest of the year.
Bright Comet ATLAS could blaze into view this month
Already visible in telescopes and high-power binoculars, the comet may be bright enough to see with the naked eye by the end of April.
Spurs soccer star Son to serve in military during Premier League break
Tottenham Hotspur star Heung-Min Son will serve in the South Korean military while the Premier League is suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sulfur 'spices' alien atmospheres
They say variety is the spice of life, and now new discoveries from Johns Hopkins researchers suggest that a certain elemental 'variety'—sulfur—is indeed a 'spice' that can perhaps point to...
This is what Jupiter and Saturn look like from Mars
If you've caught a splendid look at Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in the past few weeks, get ready for a major perspective shift.
Storm lashes Southern California with heavy rain, triggering debris flow in Hollywood Hills
The bulk of the rain is expected to fall in Los Angeles County on Monday, but a low-pressure system will linger through Thursday.
NASA finds Tropical Storm Irondro's heavy rainfall displaced
NASA analyzed Tropical Storm Irondro's rainfall and found heaviest rainfall was being pushed far southeast of the center because of strong wind shear.
The Milky Way's satellites help reveal link between dark matter halos and galaxy formation
Just as the sun has planets and the planets have moons, our galaxy has satellite galaxies, and some of those might have smaller satellite galaxies of their own. To wit,...
Image: Hubble captures a cannibal galaxy
This remarkable spiral galaxy, known as NGC 4651, may look serene and peaceful as it swirls in the vast, silent emptiness of space, but don't be fooled—it keeps a violent secret....
North Korea activity remains low at China border, analysts say
North Korean activity at the China border could be restarting after a two-month shutdown.
Choosing rocks on Mars to bring to Earth
If you could bring something back from Mars to Earth, what would you choose? This question is becoming reality, as ESA opens a call for scientists to join a NASA...
COVID-19 Shutdown May Obscure Mysteries of Cracked Interstellar Comet
Pristine alien material from the object 2I/Borisov is being exposed to space for the first time—but the coronavirus pandemic is stopping astronomers from watching it -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Saturn’s auroras may explain the planet’s weirdly hot upper atmosphere
Saturn’s auroras may heat its atmosphere like an electric toaster. Measurements from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft’s final orbits show that Saturn’s upper atmosphere is hottest where its auroras shine, a finding that could help...