Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Jupiter's Missing Cloud Stripe Bounces Back Big Time
A dark brown spot that had faded on Jupiter last year has finally reappeared on the gas giant, astronomers announced Wednesday.
Study Backs Einstein Idea On Expanding Universe
Researchers Find Evidence Backing Einstein's Theory Explaining Why the Universe is Expanding At Increasing Rate
Crews approved for space station mission
MOSCOW, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Russia says it has approved the crews for a new mission to the International Space Station to launch Dec. 15 for a Dec. 17...
Massive Galaxies May Have Formed Much Earlier Than Predictions
Some of the universe's most massive galaxies may have formed billions of years earlier than current scientific models predict, according to findings in the Astrophysical Journal. That conclusion was drawn because newly...
Space Ministers emphasise priority to deliver Galileo and GMES
ESA PR 2010-26 Ministers in charge of space activities representing the Member States of the European Space Agency and the European Union met in Brussels today for the Seventh Space...
Galaxies pin down dark energy
Observations support idea that vacuum is pulling universe apart
Gravity wave project takes important step
PASADENA, Calif., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they're one step closer to "hearing" gravity waves, the ripples in space and time predicted by Albert Einstein in the...
The physics of coffee rings
For centuries, intellectuals have met at the ring-stained surfaces of coffee shops to pore over the most pressing problems of the day - but has anyone ever pondered the coffee...
'Russian doll' galaxy reveals black holes' true power
Following a study of what is in effect a miniature galaxy buried inside a normal-sized one - like a Russian doll - astronomers using a CSIRO telescope have concluded that...
OGLE-LMC-CEP0227: Classical Cepheid Variables Mystery Solved?
Classical Cepheid Variables, commonly called Cepheids, are unstable stars larger and much brighter than the Sun which expand and contract in a regular way, taking anything from a few days...
U.S. Postal Service Reveals Designs for 2011 Space Stamps
The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled the designs for two new space-themed stamps to be released in 2011 to honor Alan Shepard and a mission to Mercury.
Space Pictures This Week: Flaming Runaway, Moon Avalanche
A "putrid sea" shines from above, an ejected star burns, a comet bites the dust, and more in the week's best space pictures.
XM, Sirius to merge in Canada
Satellite radio companies XM Canada and Sirius Canada have announced plans to merge.
Astronomers probe 'sandbar' between islands of galaxies
(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers have caught sight of an unusual galaxy that has illuminated new details about a celestial "sandbar" connecting two massive islands of galaxies. The research was conducted in...
Russia Wants Nuclear-Powered Spaceships and Space Debris Shields
Russia has begun some ambitious space projects, including a new automatic sealing system to protect spacecraft from space junk, and a nuclear-powered space propulsion system.
Upcoming flybys could provide clues to Enceladus interior
What is going on inside Saturns moon Enceladus and what powers the icy geysers and jets? A pair of upcoming flybys by the Cassini spacecraft could help answer those questions....
Dead zones in Gulf caused, in part, by farm drainage
(PhysOrg.com) -- The tile drainage systems in upper Mississippi farmlands -- from southwest Minnesota to across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio -- are the biggest contributors of nitrogen runoff into...
The sun steals comets from other stars
The next time you thrill at the sight of a comet blazing across the night sky, consider this: it's a stolen pleasure. You're enjoying the spectacle at the expense of...
NASA's sea salt sensor to get cooked, chilled
While most Americans are traveling to family gatherings this week for Thanksgiving, a team of scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and the Goddard Space Flight Center in...
Hubble's Striking Photo of Dying Star Heralds Birth of Nebula
Hubble snaps stunning shot of dying star
ESA Bulletin 144 (Nov 2010)
Set for launch next month and codenamed ‘MagISStra’, the next ESA astronaut flight will see Italian Paolo Nespoli fly to the International Space Station for a six-month stay in space....
Pterosaurs: Soaring Fliers and Light Landers
Flying dinosaurs, the pterosaurs, most likely flew slowly and soared along on gently rising air, according to data from wind tunnel tests.
Cosmic Log: Return to King Solomon's mines
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Did King David and Solomon actually exist? The long-running debate over the accuracy of biblical accounts resurfaces on TV and in print.
Bizarre squidworm discovered
The bizarre, newly-revealed squidworm -- a free-swimming worm with up to 10 squid-like limbs -- is one of a host of strange discoveries that await scientists in the vast, largely...
Earth bacteria could survive on Mars
LONDON, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Common Earth bacteria could, in theory, survive in a dormant state in the harsh conditions on Mars for more than a million years, U.K....
Cloud atlas: Scientist maps the meaning of mid-level clouds
Clouds play a major role in the climate-change equation, but they are the least-understood variable in the sky, observes a geoscientist, who says mid-level clouds are especially understudied.
Image: Rings around a crescent
A crescent Saturn appears nestled within encircling rings in this Cassini spacecraft image. Clouds swirl through the atmosphere of the planet and a barely visible Prometheus orbits between the planet's...
NASA Chief Gives Details On Recent China Trip
U.S.-Chinese cooperation in human spaceflight could yield astounding results, according to NASA's chief.