Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
NASA's Webb telescope: Revolutionary design, runaway costs
In deep, cold space, nearly a million miles from Earth, a giant telescope later this decade will scan for the first light to streak across the universe more than 13...
Cold and spellbinding: An alignment of planets in the sunset sky
Note to sky watchers: Put on your winter coats. What youre about to read might make you feel an uncontrollable urge to dash outside.
Swarm constellation heads north
(PhysOrg.com) -- The three satellites that make up ESA's Swarm magnetic field mission were presented to the media today. Following a demanding testing programme, the satellites were displayed in the...
The star factory: observing Arp 220
Using the Herschel Space Observatory, Wilson's group has found Arp 220 to have large amounts of very warm molecular hydrogen gas, a surprising find that implies molecular hydrogen is the...
Window into world's future oceans unveiled
An international team from the Nippon Foundation-University of British Columbia Nereus program has unveiled the first global model of life in the world's oceans, allowing scientists and policymakers to predict...
Best Space Photos of the Week - Feb. 18, 2012
See amazing photos of rocket launches, northern lights, nebulas and more from the week in space.
China to do first manned space docking
BEIJING, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- The three astronauts on Beijing's next space mission will carry out China's first manned docking to a prototype space station, China's space agency said...
U.S. Navy satellite launch scrubbed again
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A second attempt to launch a U.S. Navy communications satellite into space was scrubbed late Friday due to poor weather, a spacecraft-launch...
The Great Neutrino Tsunami
February 23rd 1987 is a day indelibly imprinted on the minds of everyone interested in astrophysics. At 7:36 GMT that day, now 25 years ago, the big one hit us. There...
NASA budget cuts could be felt on Mars
Scott Hubbard, a space agency advisor, explains scientists' worries about President Obama's proposed reductions for the planetary sciences division.Lean financial times are prompting belt-tightening far and wide — and now...
Wallpaper: Southeastern United States Seen from the International Space Station
Southeastern USA at night is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 30 crew member on the International Space Station.
Solar Tornadoes Dance Across Sun's Surface in NASA Video
Sun tornadoes are twisted by powerful magnetic forces on the solar surface.
Spacewatch: ISS joins brightest planets in evening sky
The reappearance of the International Space Station in Britain's evening sky gives us opportunities to compare it with the brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, and the brightest star Sirius. Our predictions give the...
Top 10 Winter Sky Targets for Skywatchers
Winter is nearly over, but there's still time to catch these skywatching favorites with a telescope.
Virgin Galactic’s Private SpaceShipTwo Test Flights & Trials
Go behind the scenes of the flight tests and rocket engine checks of Virgin Galactic’s first SpaceShipTwo spaceship for passenger flights into suborbital space.
The Most Amazing Science Images of the Week, February 13-17, 2012
The Rosette Nebula The Rosette Nebula, chosen as NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day earlier this week, is the perfect Valentine's Day space object, because it's pretty and it sort...
Aurora Oddity: Northern Lights Display Dazzles Without Big Sun Flare
Scientists don't completely understand what sparked this week's northern lights display.
THEMIS celebrates 5 years of watching aurora and space weather
People still talk about the launch. It was the first and so far, only time NASA has launched five satellites at one time. Carefully balanced inside a Delta...
Space Pictures This Week: Rocket Launch, Saturn "Snowman"
Nebulae punctuate the sky, Europe lifts up a new lightweight, Saturn moons get stacked, and more in the week's best space pictures.
Moon Halo Hovers Over Hungarian Castle in Skywatcher Photo
Avid astrophotographer Tamas Ladanyi snaps stunnning image of 22 degree halo.
Tonight, We'll Be at Star Talk Live With Neil de Grasse Tyson and Eugene Mirman
Past Episode of Star Talk Live The panel of a previous Star Talk episode: Eugene Mirman, John Hodgman, Kristen Schaal, Neil de Grasse Tyson, and Mike Massimino. Star Talk Radio Neil...
From Earth's water to cosmic dawn: New tools unveiling astronomical mysteries
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two new and powerful research tools are helping astronomers gain key insights needed to transform our understanding of important processes across the breadth of astrophysics. The Atacama Large...
See Venus and Jupiter In HD With Just Your Naked Eyes
In March, Venus and Jupiter will be so close in the night sky that they will fit in the realm of your eyes that relays high definition imagery to your...
No New Heavy Quarks In ATLAS
A nice new search for heavy quarks has been completed by the ATLAS collaboration in 7 TeV proton-proton collisions data collected in 2011. The search is instructive to describe, so...
Rare Earth element found far, far away
Nearly 13.7 billion years ago, the universe was made of only hydrogen, helium and traces of lithium — byproducts of the Big Bang. Some 300 million years later, the very first stars...
Doggie Constellations Are a Skywatcher's Best Friends This Week
The cosmic dogs are just some of the impressive celestial objects in the night sky this week.
Rio giving out 3 million free condoms during Carnival
The government of Rio de Janeiro state will distribute more than three million condoms free of charge during Brazil's five-day carnival that begins Friday.
North America Nebula Burns Bright in Skywatcher Photo
This emission nebula lies in the constellation Cygnus, and astronomers say it resembles North America.