Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Video: Lawyer: Assange to Be Released on Bail
Mark Stephens, the lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, announced that Assange will be released on bail from London's Wandsworth prison.
Secret Air Force Space Plane Returns to Earth
Unmanned X-37B Back after 7 Months in Orbit for Classified Mission
Space Shuttle: 3..2..1: Delayed Again
NASA Delays Final Voyage Of Space Shuttle Discovery To Feb., Fuel Tank Cracks The Culprit
U.S. military spaceplane ends secret mission
The U.S. Air Force's secrecy-shrouded X-37B unmanned spaceplane has returned to Earth after more than seven months in orbit on a classified mission, officials said.
STAR TRAK for December
The moon will pass through Earth's shadow on the night of Dec. 20-21, producing the first total lunar eclipse in nearly three years. Weather permitting, people across North America and...
Enrichment, Bushehr work on, Iran says
TEHRAN, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Uranium enrichment in Iran is continuing despite claims by the International Atomic Energy Agency, an Iranian envoy said Thursday from Tehran.
Boomerang-shaped galaxy sighted
A newly discovered galaxy bent like a boomerang could help explain how galaxies are formed, astronomers say.
Some UFOs may be explained as ball lighting
(PhysOrg.com) -- An Australian scientist studying photographs of fireballs, UFO sightings and a report of a strange green light in the sky suggests some UFOs may be ball lightning caused...
Astronomers use moon in effort to corral elusive cosmic particles
Seeking to detect mysterious, ultra-high-energy neutrinos from distant regions of space, a team of astronomers used the Moon as part of an innovative telescope system for the search. Their work...
Astronomers Get First Peek at Atmosphere of a "Super-Earth" Exoplanet
Someday in the coming years, if astronomers finally succeed in locating a virtual Earth twin outside the solar system--a tiny dot of a world at a temperate, life-enabling distance from...
NASA creates buzz with 'extraterrestrial' announcement
The US space agency has created a buzz with its announcement of a press conference Thursday to discuss a scientific finding that relates to the hunt for life beyond the...
Million viewers reached with Mars Rover construction webcam
More than one million people have watched assembly and testing of NASA's next Mars rover via a live webcam since it went online in October.
Spain supplies weather station for next Mars Rover
The first instrument from Spain for a mission to Mars will provide daily weather reports from the Red Planet. Expect extremes.
Are Mystery Clouds of Venus a Warning Sign for Earth's Climate Battle?
Mysterious clouds discovered on Venus could serve as a cautionary tale for a proposed method of combating climate change here on Earth.
Giant Stealth Planet May Explain Rain of Comets from Solar System's Edge
Our sun may have a companion that disturbs comets from the edge of the solar system.
Researcher says Earth's oceans 'homegrown'
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Earth's oceans were homegrown and not delivered by icy comets and asteroids as long contended, U.S. researchers say.
Spacewatch: Venus and the ISS in predawn sky
The launch of the shuttle Discovery to the ISS, the International Space Station, has now been delayed to early in the morning of 18 December, UK time. By then, the...
Chemists help archaeologists to probe biblical history
Collaboration establishes a new approach for teasing out clues hidden in the soil.
Best Space Pictures of 2010: Odd Aurora, Ring of Fire, More
See our editors' picks of the best space pictures of 2010, including a "moonbow," a disintegrating spacecraft, and a rare view of a craggy asteroid.
Private Spaceship Could Start Carrying Tourists Within a Year
The first passengers could ride aboard Virgin Galactic's new commercial spaceship in about a year, its founder said.
World's fastest camera takes a new look at biosensing
Scientists have developed a Megaframe Imager -- an ultrafast camera capable of recording images at the incredible rate of one million frames.
Russia wants to build 'Sweeper' to clean up space debris
Russia is looking to build a $2 billion orbital "pod" that would sweep up satellite debris from space around the Earth. According to a post on the Russian Federal Space...
First Orion Space Capsule Could Ride Huge Rocket In 2013
Lockheed Martin's first Orion space capsule could launch atop a huge rocket in an unmanned 2013 test flight.
Milky Way stars move in mysterious ways
Rather than moving in circles around the center of the Milky Way, all the stars in our Galaxy are travelling along different paths, moving away from the Galactic center. This...
Scientist at Work: First the Rain, Then the Rain of Insects
In a remote area of Madagascar, scientists and a film crew explore deep canyons and sun-baked summits.
Cosmic Log: What's your favorite geek gift?
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: How about a digital spoon, or a fractal construction set? Pick out your favorite gewgaw with a geeky angle and help someone win a holiday...
Image: Dark dune fields of proctor crater, Mars
The dark rippled dunes of Mars' Proctor Crater likely formed more recently than the lighter rock forms they appear to cover, and are thought to slowly shift in response to...
Virgin Galactic Keeps Mum On Orbital Spaceflight Ambitions
While Virgin Galactic's public sights are set on achieving suborbital space tourism with its SpaceShipTwo vehicle, quietly the company is already eyeing the next step: orbital space travel.