Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Lunar Eclipse Could Boost Underdog Meteor Shower
A usually dim meteor shower may get a chance to shine because of a rare upcoming total eclipse.
Russia clears launchers after grounding
MOSCOW, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Russia says it has cleared its Proton rockets for use after they were grounded last week following the loss of three satellites in a...
Life's Great Mystery: What, Exactly, Is Life?
In the wake of controversy over the possible discovery of arsenic-eating life last week, a basic question perhaps deserves revisiting: Just what, exactly, is life?
Physicists propose mechanism that explains the origins of both dark matter and 'normal' matter
(PhysOrg.com) -- Through precise cosmological measurements, scientists know that about 4.6% of the energy of the Universe is made of baryonic matter (normal atoms), about 23% is made of dark...
NASA flying observatory in first mission
ITHACA, N.Y., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- NASA says its new airborne astronomical observatory has flown its first complete science mission following five months of test flights.
Dropping in on Saturn
Gallery: The Latest Trove of Images of Saturn and its Moons Sent Back to Earth by the Cassini Spacecraft
Japan Space Probe Reaches Venus, Shuts Down
Japan Probe Reaches Venus, but Communications Trouble Leaves Mission in Doubt
Sci-fi sonic screwdriver gets real-world twist
Cosmic Log: Add Doctor Who's sonic screwdriver to the list of seemingly far-fetched gadgets and technologies wending their way to the real world.
Video - Huge Solar Flare Creates Gorgeous Filament
A massive solar storm erupted from the sun on December 6, 2010, creating a huge tendril of plasma that stretched across the face of the star.
NASA satellites see heavy rainfall and displaced thunderstorms in System 94B
System 94B has not been classified as a tropical depression, but NASA satellite data has shown that it is creating heavy rainfall near India's southeastern coast. A second NASA satellite...
Distant Galaxy Cluster Has a Cold Quasar Heart
A space telescope has spotted a strange, distant galaxy cluster whose heart is surprisingly cold.
NASA Solar Sail Satellite Ejects from Mothership in Space
A small NASA satellite carrying a folded-up solar sail ejected from its mothership in low-Earth orbit early Monday morning (Dec. 6), marking a key success in NASA's efforts to develop...
Double vision: New instrument casts its eyes to the sky
The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer has taken its first images of the star Beta Peg in the constellation Pictor -- an encouraging start for an instrument designed to probe the...
Crab nebula outbursts shock astronomers
Spacecraft detect powerful gamma-ray flares from a supernova remnant known for its steady glow
Video Lunar Eclipse Dominates December Skywatching
Plan your holidays around the Dec. 20 total lunar eclipse and Geminid meteor shower, which both promise to dazzle with end-of-year cheer!
Beast at galaxy core sits, lacking spin
New observations reinforce quiescent image of Milky Way's central black hole
DIY Satellite Builder's Guide, V0.5
I sat down and started writing a column on Sonification for today, then I realized I'd already written that piece-- several months ago. Whoops. So instead, I've built an index of...
ONR's record-setting test to showcase railgun's military relevance
Senior Navy leaders will be on hand Dec. 10 at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), a tenant command to Naval Support Facility (NSF), Dahlgren, Va., for a record-setting...
NASA ejects nanosatellite from microsatellite in space
(PhysOrg.com) -- On Dec. 6 at 1:31 a.m. EST, NASA for the first time successfully ejected a nanosatellite from a free-flying microsatellite. NanoSail-D ejected from the Fast, Affordable, Science and...
Using chaos to model geophysical phenomena
Geophysical phenomena such as the dynamics of the atmosphere and ocean circulation are typically modeled mathematically by tracking the motion of air or water particles. These mathematical models define velocity...
In pictures: Satellite eye on Earth – November 2010
Glacial flour dust storms and magnetic mountains were among the images captured by Nasa satellites during November
New JPL Workers Shed Training Wheels for Rocket Launch
A group of early-career employees at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., can now add “rocket launch” to their resumes.
Argentina likely on verge of big gas find
BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Argentina is likely on the verge of a major natural gas discovery following exploration by Repsol-YPF, the Argentine unit of energy giant Repsol,...
Q&A: Planetary Scientist Simulates Asteroid Impacts
Don't duck and cover just yet, but a planetary scientist says we should take asteroids seriously
NASA's arsenic microbe science slammed
A recent high-profile astrobiology discovery led by a NASA scientist is being called into question by a B.C. microbiologist, who says the science was sloppy.
Video: A 3-D Tour of All the Known Galaxies, In 90 Seconds
All We Can See NASA This little video, brought to us by NASA Goddard, shows off all of the galaxies we're currently aware of, in one swirling, fluid shot. It's...
Cosmic Log: Europe's supergrid gets a boost
Ten European countries sign an agreement to build a $30 billion system to harvest wind power from the North Sea and ship it to the continent.
Astronomy without a telescope -- Through a lens darkly
Massive galactic clusters which are roughly orientated in a plane that is roughly face-on to Earth can generate strong gravitational lensing. However, several surveys of such clusters have...