Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
NASA Budget Likely to Remain In Limbo Until After Election Day, Lawmakers Say
To the Launch Pad Space Shuttle Discovery crawled toward Launch Pad A this week, preparing for its final flight in November. via Flickr/
Arctic is for all, Moscow says
MOSCOW, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A forum for the nations bordering the arctic is meant to bolster international cooperation in the under-explored region, Russian scientists said. ...
The strength of Venus lightning sparkles interest in the scientific community
Despite the great differences between the atmospheres of Venus and Earth, scientists have discovered that very similar mechanisms produce lightning on the two planets. The rates of discharge, the intensity...
Five-Dimensional Black Strings In A Bizarro Universe
A model of five-dimensional black strings shows how an initial perturbation would cause the object to break apart into black holes connected by thin black string segments. Smaller black holes...
Martian moon Phobos may have formed by catastrophic blast
Scientists now have firm indications that the Martian satellite Phobos formed relatively near its current location via re-accretion of material blasted into Mars` orbit by some catastrophic event. Two independent...
Cosmic Log: How the Titanic tore apart
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Experts are still analyzing their newly made 3-D maps of the Titanic shipwreck site, but they can already report that the great ship’s breakup was...
Data clippers set sail to enhance future planetary missions
A new golden age of sailing may be about to begin - in space. Future missions to explore the outer planets could employ fleets of 'data-clippers', manoeuvrable spacecraft equipped...
The first microwave image of the complete Moon
The first microwave image of the complete Moon was obtained thanks to the Chinese lunar satellite Chang'E-1. Global brightness temperature maps reveal radiation from the surface and deeper layers of...
Herschel Mars observations: First results
The Herschel Space Observatory is providing the first exciting results on Mars, from its guaranteed-time key program 'Water and related chemistry in the Solar System'. An accurate globally-averaged temperature profile...
Windborne desert dust falls on high peaks, dampens Colorado River runoff
When the winds are right and the desert is dry, dust blows eastward from the semi-arid regions of the US Southwest. In a dust-up, Western style, small dark particles of...
Canadian space agency beams northern lights over Web
Skywatchers can turn their gaze to a computer for a glimpse of the northern lights: the Canadian Space Agency on Monday launched an online observatory streaming the aurora borealis live...
Wal-Mart to try thin-film solar technology
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc plans to expand the use of renewable energy in its stores by installing thin-film solar panels in up to 30 of...
Tuning In to Highest Energy Cosmic Rays
Radio waves reflected off Antarctic ice could be used to track particles from space, chance observation suggests
Firefly Satellite to study lightning
Satellites are big. They cost a lot of money. At least that's the impression a couple of University of Maryland-College Park students had when they applied for an internship to...
NASA to ship fuel tank for the last planned shuttle flight
(PhysOrg.com) -- The external fuel tank that will power the last planned space shuttle into orbit will be shipped Tuesday to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Mystery on Mars: Why Methane Fades Away So Fast
Methane in the atmosphere of Mars dissipates quickly and mysteriously, fading away in less than a year, according to a new study.
Moon's Water May Be Bad News For Lunar Telescopes
The presence of water on the moon may be a boon for future manned bases, but new research suggests it might also put a major crimp in plans for ambitious...
Race Is On for Lawmakers Over NASA Space Policy
NASA's advocates in Congress are racing against the clock to adopt a new space policy.
NASA Chief Did Not Violate Ethics Law, Report Finds
An investigation probed whether NASA's chief violated ethics by calling an oil company he used to work for to consult on NASA business.
U.S. Senate Curbs Spending on Military Weather Satellites
U.S. Senate appropriators on Sept. 16 passed a defense spending bill that would put the brakes on the Defense Department's plans to begin development of a new weather satellite constellation...
Will the Sun give us a reprieve from global warming?
Something unusual has been going on in the Sun’s magnetic activity. For the last three centuries or so that we have been observing sunspots, we have seen a regular eleven-year...
NASA inspector general faults space agency boss
(AP) -- NASA's inspector general is criticizing the head of the space agency for his contact with an oil company.
Kiev, Moscow eye new gas relationship
KIEV, Ukraine, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Moscow and Kiev aim to sign agreements outlining bilateral energy ties during a regional summit scheduled in Russia in early October, a diplomat...
Citizen scientist
We are all scientists now, thanks to SETI@home, Galaxy Zoo, The Great Sunflower Project, Folding@home and counltess other projects that allow individuals to take part in scientific research directly...
Emotional Intelligence Could Predict Employee Happiness
Research suggests that happiness is linked to a quantifiable attribute known as “emotional intelligence."
China could make moon landing in 2025
Country also plans to establish its first space station in a decade's timeChina could put an astronaut on the moon in 2025 and launch probes to explore Mars and Venus within five...
Boeing Launches Search for Crucial Rare Earth Elements
The aerospace and defense giant will use remote sensing technology to hunt for deposits of rare earth elements.
In praise of … space clippers | Editorial
Robot windjammers laden with instruments could scud out on the gentle breeze from the sun to Europa or Titan and then tack back to EarthThe solar wind is a violent burst of...