Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
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...
Space Probe Spots Weird Microwave Haze in Our Galaxy
The findings will help scientists construct a more detailed blueprint of the cosmos.
Star cluster surrounds wayward black hole in cannibal galaxy
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope may have found evidence for a cluster of young, blue stars encircling one of the first intermediate-mass black holes ever discovered. Astronomers believe the...
NASA sees Cyclone Giovanna moving through the Mozambique Channel
Infrared NASA satellite imagery showed Cyclone Giovanna moving south through the Mozambique Channel on Thursday, February 16, 2012. Infrared data showed that Giovanna was regaining strength in the warm waters...
Distant cosmic dust tendril imaged
MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- European astronomers say they've imaged a vast tentacle of cosmic dust, spanning light years, containing newborn stars normally invisible to optical telescopes.
Venus slowdown puzzles planetary scientists
Scientists have detected a sudden and dramatic slowdown in the rotation of Earth's sister planet Venus.
NASA Landsat's thermal infrared sensor arrives at Orbital
A new NASA satellite instrument that makes a quantum leap forward in detector technology has arrived at Orbital Sciences Corp. in Gilbert, Ariz. There it will be integrated into the...
NASA announces third round of CubeSat space mission candidates
NASA has selected 33 small satellites to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard rockets planned to launch in 2013 and 2014. The proposed CubeSats come from universities across the country, the...
SLS advanced booster risk reduction solutions
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., has issued a NASA Research Announcement for the Space Launch System (SLS) Advanced Booster risk-reduction effort.
3rd Iranian Launch Heats Up Space Race
Iran continues to advance their ability to reach the final frontier with a new weather satellite. Weighing in at 110 pounds, 'Navid' will orbit the Earth 15 times a day...
Tornado Season On The Sun?
For a 30 hour spell (Feb 7-8, 2012) the Solar Dynamics Observatory captured plasma caught in a magnetic dance across the Sun's surface. The results closely resemble extreme tornadic...
A Tale of Two Stars: The Inside Story of Orion's Belt
Rigel and Betelgeuse are easy to spot, and reveal even more through a telescope or binoculars.
Martian carbon dioxide clouds tied to atmospheric gravity waves
On 4 March 1997 the Mars Pathfinder lander fell through the thin Martian atmosphere. During its descent, instrumentation aboard the lander recorded the changing atmospheric temperature, pressure, and density.
Cosmic carbon monoxide pictured
The Planck space telescope makes the first-ever all-sky image of carbon monoxide concentration, giving hints about where stars are forming.
Globular clusters: Survivors of a 13-billion-year-old massacre
Our Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by some 200 compact groups of stars, containing up to a million stars each. At 13 billion years of age, these globular clusters are...
NSF Tops Research Agencies With a $340-Million Boost
Once again, the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) reputation as a jack-of-all-research has stood it...
Cosmic Valentine's Day Photo Wraps Milky Way Galaxy in Pink Heart
The photo was taken by astronomer Julien Girard at the European Southern Observatory in Chile.
Kuiper's color close-up
The pale-orange coloration around the 39-mile (62-km) -wide Kuiper crater on Mercury is evident in this image, a color composition made from targeted images acquired by NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft on...
'Baby fat' on the young sun?
To deal with the faint young Sun paradox, researchers are taking a fresh look at an old idea: that the Sun started out larger and more luminous than we thought.
New comet discovered by amateur astronomer
Friday, February 10th 2012 just felt like the perfect night for a comet to be discovered by an amateur astronomer, writes Fred Bruenjes on his astronomy blog. And, this past...
Elusive Dark Matter Pervades Intergalactic Space
Japanese physicists have discovered that dark matter pervades interstellar space, extending from galaxy to galaxy to form an all-encompassing web of matter.
The indiscretions of a champagne bubble paparazzi
The innermost secrets of champagne bubbles are about to be unveiled in the Springer journal European Physical Journal ST. This fascinating work is the brainchild of Gérard Liger-Belair, a scientist...
Cosmos mysteries to be studied
CHICAGO, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The University of Chicago says $17 million in funding from the National Science Foundation will help it research three basic cosmological puzzles.
Exascale Computing Off to Slow Start in DOE Budget
Supercomputer scientists who were watching the release of the Obama Administration's budget closely to see if contained new pots of money for exascale science came away both pleased and disappointed.
U.S. tells Europe to go solo on Martian mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA intends to cancel plans to join Europe on a Mars sampling mission that is considered important to learning if life appeared beyond Earth as...
Carina Nebula Infrared Panorama
This broad panorama of the Carina Nebula, a region of massive star formation in the southern skies, was taken in infrared light. Image released February 8, 2012.
NASA's 2013 Budget: What Will It Buy?
Money to explore new technology, but not that much for science: an overview of the Agency's annual ammunition.
Life on Earth Began on Land, Not in Sea?
The first cellular life on Earth probably arose in a vat of volcanic mud akin to Darwin's idea of a "warm little pond," a new study says.