Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Moon's suprise stretch marks show it isn't dead
New evidence suggests that the moon, once thought to be geologically cold and dead, is still stretching and contracting on its surface.
Flying Squid And Velocity Vs. Acceleration
If you haven't heard the kerfuffle about flying squid by now, you've been under a rock. A cephalopod-free rock. read more
How Scattered Light May Reveal Alien Planet Atmospheres
Astronomers are devising new ways to measure the potential atmosphere of alien planets by using light scattered by the exoplanets' atmospheres. Alien planet atmospheres may reveal surprising details about the...
Video: Scientists use rocket to study Northern Lights
In Alaska, a two-stage rocket is helping scientists understand how the lights are formed and how they impact satellites. NBC’s Brian Williams reports. (Nightly News)
Proud Canadian Astronaut Eager to Run Space Station
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will command the International Space Station in 2013.
Alan Turing's tiger-stripe theory confirmed, say researchers
The code-breaker's 1950s theory confirmed with mouse experiment, say researchers
Confoming to society linked to size of certain brain region
Every generation has its James Dean: the rebel who refuses to follow the path beaten by their peers. Now, a new study in ‘Current Biology’ has found a link between...
X-rays yield clues to moon volcanoes
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- X-rays of moon rocks show why the moon has no active volcanoes even though there is plenty of liquid magma deep within it,...
Preparations continue for launching engine icing research
NASA scientists are making progress in their preparations to mount a detailed research campaign aimed at solving a modern-day aviation mystery involving the unlikely combination of fire and ice inside...
Sheep in Wolf-Rayet's clothing: New image of planetary nebula Hen 3-1333
It's well known that the universe is changeable: even the stars that appear static and predictable every night are subject to change. A new image from the NASA Hubble Space...
First astronauts' spacesuits were a marvel in their day
If it hadn't been for Akron ingenuity, astronaut John Glenn might have had to circle the planet in his skivvies.
Mars rocks indicate relatively recent quakes, volcanism, on Red Planet
(PhysOrg.com) -- Images of a martian landscape offer evidence that the Red Planets surface not only can shake like the surface of Earth, but has done so relatively recently. If...
Mercury Astronaut: John Glenn Orbits Earth 50 Years Ago
In the midst of CNN's non-stop coverage of a deceased singer whose biggest career hit was a cover of a Dolly Parton song, there may be a ray of rational...
SpaceTweetup to highlight ATV mission
ESA and the French space agency, CNES, are inviting 60 Twitter followers to a joint European SpaceTweetup in Toulouse, France, for the docking of ATV Edoardo Amaldi to the International...
Stars containing dark matter should look different from other stars
(PhysOrg.com) -- Finding evidence for dark matter the unknown substance that theoretically makes up 23% of the universe has been one of the biggest challenges in modern cosmology....
Pulsars: The universe's gift to physics
Pulsars, which already have produced two Nobel Prizes, are providing scientists with unique insights on topics from particle physics to General Relativity.
Bright peaks, dark shadows
The 68-mile (109-km) -wide Amaral crater on Mercury reveals its brightly-tipped central peaks in this image, acquired by NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft on Feb. 4, 2012. Long shadows are cast by...
NuSTAR mated to its rocket
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is being mated, or attached, to its Pegasus XL rocket today at Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California.
Swiss pilot to undergo 3-day solar flight simulation
Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg will undergo a three-day simulated flight for a new Solar Impulse aircraft that can travel around the world powered only by solar energy, organizers said Monday.
In praise of … a new broom in space | Editorial
With 22,000 odd pieces of junk orbiting the Earth, it's time the rule on dropping litter applied in space as well as on our streetsIf we are no longer allowed to drop...
Best Space Stories of the Week - Feb. 19, 2012
From space robot handshakes to the fallout from NASA's 2013 budget request, it's been a busy week for space exploration.
Gamma-ray bursts' highest power side unveiled by Fermi telescope
(PhysOrg.com) -- Detectable for only a few seconds but possessing enormous energy, gamma-ray bursts are difficult to capture because their energy does not penetrate the Earth's atmosphere. Now, thanks to...
'Beam me up, Scotty:' ASU professor uses Star Trek themes to communicate science
Before firing up the dilithium crystals in your warp drive, you should know what you are getting into, said Lawrence Krauss, ASU Foundation Professor at Arizona State University. When applied...
Jack Szostak And The Origin Of Life
Nobel Prize winner Jack Szostak recently wrote an opinion piece titled "Attempts to Define Life Do Not Help to Understand the Origin of Life" which was published in the Journal...
Scientists Find New Dangers in Tiny but Pervasive Particles in Air Pollution
Gaseous byproducts that were thought to dissipate quickly are now found to evaporate more slowly and persist longer than anyone had thought.
Herschel telescope 'in last year'
Herschel, Europe's billion-euro space observatory, has entered what is likely to be its last year of operation as its supercold helium refrigerant starts to run down.
Dot Earth Blog: NASA Provides Stunning View of Solar Twisters and Plasma Rainbows
A NASA satellite captures astounding closeup views of solar storminess.
Answer to Shocking 'Faster-Than-Light' Particles Expected Soon
Results from experiments aiming to recreate the shocking CERN result of last year are expected this spring.