Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Black hole found in binary star system: More than five times greater in mass than our Sun
The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) has obtained the first spectroscopy data from the X-ray transient binary XTE J1859+226, which confirm the existence of a black hole. Only about 20 binary...
A very cool pair of brown dwarfs
Brown dwarfs are essentially failed stars: they lack enough mass for gravity to trigger the nuclear reactions that make stars shine. The newly discovered brown dwarf, identified as CFBDSIR 1458+10B,...
Scientists earn their bread, discover a new yeast
A new type of yeast sporting spores with rings around their centers, a la the planet Saturn, has come out of hiding in a cloud forest in Ecuador, researchers recently...
Weird Saturn Radio Signals Puzzle Astronomers
Saturn's odd radio emissions likely show the sun's shifting influence on the giant planet.
NASA's Juno spacecraft completes thermal vacuum chamber testing
NASA's Juno spacecraft has completed its thermal vacuum chamber testing. The two-week-long test, which concluded on March 13, 2011, is the longest the spacecraft will undergo prior to launch.
Goddard annual Sun-Earth day has a tweeting twist
Every year, near the equinox, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. hosts -- and encourages other museums and educators to host -- a solar extravaganza called Sun-Earth Day....
Are you a Martian? We all could be, scientists say -- and new instrument might provide proof
Are we all Martians? According to many planetary scientists, it's conceivable that all life on Earth is descended from organisms that originated on Mars and were carried here aboard meteorites....
NASA's Planet-Hunting Telescope Back Online After 6-Day Glitch
A computer glitch sent NASA's Kepler telescope into hibernation for 144 hours.
NASA's 100-Year Starship Project Sets Sights on Interstellar Travel
NASA and DARPA are spending $1 million on project to help enable a starship ride in the 2100s.
VIDEO: Viewing the Northern Lights in Canada
Brandy Yanchyk travels to Yellowknife in Canada for a view of the famous Northern Lights.
National Briefing | WEST: California: Scientist Accused of Bias
An Interior Department report released Tuesday found that a scientist committed misconduct by misusing photographic evidence that appeared to contradict her contention that an oyster farm’s operations disturbed harbor seals.
New estimate of alien 'Earths': Billions
PASADENA, Calif., March 22 (UPI) -- A new estimate of the number of possible alien Earths orbiting distant stars puts the figure at 2 billion in our Milky Way...
News in Brief: Atom & Cosmos
Ancient galaxies found full-grown, plus stellar hearts and Mars’ rocky past in this week’s news
NASA 'wakes up' asteroid-bound probe
PASADENA, Calif., March 22 (UPI) -- NASA says the instruments on its Dawn spacecraft, headed for a rendezvous with an asteroid, have been awakened after a six-month hibernation.
Laser proposed to deflect space junk
Ground-based device would use light to push debris off collision course
NASA Space Capsule Begins Tests at New Proving Ground
The Orion vehicle is slated to begin operational flights in 2016.
Zeta Ophiuchi in Dust
The blue star Zeta Ophiuchi (center) appears surrounded by a cloud of interstellar dust and gas.
NASA to William Shatner: 'Happy Birthday,' Captain Kirk
NASA has sent an official note to wish Capt. James T. Kirk a happy 80th birthday.
Honey bee search strategy: Robot swarms to search Mars caves
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a recent paper published in Acta Astronautica, Aron Kisdi, a University of Southampton engineer, proposes an idea of utilizing a swarm of robots to search large areas...
Habitable planets and white dwarfs
(PhysOrg.com) -- The search for habitable planets similar to Earth has routinely focused around active nuclear burning stars. However, in a recently published paper by Eric Agol from the University...
NASA's Orion Space Capsule
A look at NASA's Orion space capsule, which could carry astronauts to the moon, asteroids and other deep-space locales. The first test flight of the spacecraft is scheduled for 2013.
NASA Picks Winners of 'Space Craft' Contest
The grand prize winner is "Northstar Table," which boasts a hidden drawer that pops out when it's touched in the right spot.
NASA Budget Woes Batter Ambitious Planetary Mission Plans
NASA's budget problems are limiting the agency's choices for flagship missions to the planets.
Reading The Cryosphere
Reading The Cryosphere A picture is worth a thousand words - but only if you can speak the language. When examining satellite images of the cryosphere it helps to know something of...
Mining plans pose threat to South African astronomy site
Search for natural gas raises questions over bid to host Square Kilometre Array.
Step 1 in Astronauts-to-Asteroid Mission: Pick the Right Space Rock
Finding the right asteroid to send astronauts to visit in 2025 is vital for NASA planners.
Enriching the intracluster medium
(PhysOrg.com) -- Galaxies are sometimes found in large clusters with many hundreds of members. Typically there is a giant elliptical galaxy near the center; most of these ellipticals are very...
Radiation, Once Free, Can Follow Tricky Path
How — and how fast — radioactive elements travel depends on many factors, including weather, soil and what they land on first.