Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Sun Unleashes Strongest Flare Yet of 2012
An X-class flare, the most powerful type of solar storm, erupted from the sun today.
SDO helps measure magnetic fields on the sun's surface
(PhysOrg.com) -- Science nuggets are a collection of early science results, new research techniques, and instrument updates that further our attempt to understand the sun and the dynamic space weather...
Vega rocket ready for first flight
Final checkout of Europes new Vega launcher was completed last Friday, marking another milestone towards its maiden flight from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Rocket with military satellite launches from Florida
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - An unmanned heavy-lift Delta 4 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Thursday to put a high-speed broadband communications satellite into orbit...
Distant galaxy could be all dark matter
DAVIS, Calif., Jan. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers say a small galaxy 7 billion light-years from Earth, invisible to telescopes, may be completely made of dark matter, which reflects...
In praise of … stargazing | Editorial
Somewhere along the road to modernity, this simple enjoyment got lost - but now it's back with a bangWhether to navigate or simply to dream, we have always stared at the sky...
NASA sees repeating La Niña hitting its peak
La Niña, "the diva of drought," is peaking, increasing the odds that the Pacific Northwest will have more stormy weather this winter and spring, while the southwestern and southern United...
NASA debunks new UFO conspiracy charge
Stir started when agency made public new space images some said indicated a mysterious triangular object headed our way.
Nasa clears the runway for open source software
The NASA Open Government Initiative has launched a new website to expand the agencys open source software development.
Gaseous ring around young star raises questions
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers have detected a mysterious ring of carbon monoxide gas around the young star V1052 Cen, which is about 700 light years away in the southern constellation Centaurus....
Shuttle exhibit breaks ground in Florida
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Officials in Florida said groundbreaking has begun on a $100 million exhibit to hold the retired shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space...
Faint 'satellite galaxy' discovered
A faint "satellite galaxy" 10 billion light years from Earth is the lowest-mass object ever detected at such a distance, says a physics professor who aided in the satellite's discovery.
Voyager instrument cooling after heater turned off
In order to reduce power consumption, mission managers have turned off a heater on part of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, dropping the temperature of its ultraviolet spectrometer instrument more than...
Is the US Military Hiding Data on Dead Russian Mars Probe?
The military's Space Track website did not publish confirmation data on the fall of Phobos-Grunt.
Lavatory Luxury: Images of an 1850s Bathroom
An 1850s bathroom in Mississippi, one of the handful left in the country from this era.
Gemini’s twin telescopes reboot
Gemini’s twin telescopes rebootNature 481, 251 18012012 doi: 10.1038/481251aEric HandAdaptive optics put the observatory at the cutting edge.
Meteorite-infused wine launched in Chilean observatory
Meteorito wine, a brand of Cabernet Sauvignon, is thought to be the world's first meteorite-infused wine. The cosmic fragment was submerged in the grape juice during the fermentation process. Would you...
AUDIO: How to control the Lovell telescope
Radio 5 live's Tony Livesey has a go at controlling the satellite dish used in Apollo missions.
VIDEO: Rocket City future rests on 'mega rocket'
Huntsville, Alabama, is where Nasa hopes to build a "mega rocket", the next giant leap in the US space programme.
VIDEO: Dark skies bring tourist boost
Astronomers coming to Scotland in search of dark skies are boosting the country's economy.
UA makes mirrors for world's largest telescope
(PhysOrg.com) -- The second of seven 27-foot diameter mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope was cast on Jan. 14 inside a rotating furnace at the UA's Steward Observatory Mirror Lab.
U.S. to try again to hammer out space code
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The United States will join with Europe and other nations to hammer out a code of conduct for space activities, including how to deal with...
Mystery Deepens Over Where Our Sun Was Born
The star cluster M67 has been knocked out of the running, bringing the quest for the solar system's origin back to square one, experts say.
Russian Claim that US Radar Downed Mars Probe Is False
Russia has accused the United States of accidentally downing its Mars-bound space probe with powerful radar. But scientists say this could not have been the case.
Forget Space Beer, Order Meteorite Wine Instead
This wine is aged with an actual meteorite that fell to Earth.
Manned Russian Rocket Launches from South America Look Doubtful
The European Space Agency's plans for crewed Soyuz flights from French Guiana are unlikely.
Second Russian satellite set to fall to Earth
With another satellite set to fall to Earth tonight, the datablog takes a look at our orbital space junkAnother Russian satellite is set to re-enter Earth's atmosphere tonight, with predictions for the exact...
ScienceShot: Why So Many Homeless Planets?
New simulations may help explain why alien worlds are ejected from their solar systems