Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Cosmic Log: Cars vs. cosmic rays
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Could cosmic rays affect electronics here on Earth? Yes, absolutely. Could cosmic rays be what's causing the mysterious accelerator problems in Toyota automobiles? That's one...
NASA's TRMM satellite maps Cyclone Paul's extreme rainfall totals in Australia
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite has been called a "flying rain gauge in space" because it measures rainfall from its orbit around the earth. This week, ex-tropical...
Twisted Physics: 7 Recent Mind-Blowing Findings
Physics has revealed some spooky sides of our world. Here are seven of the most mind-blowing recent discoveries.
'Lighting a match in a tornado' is 1 of multiple feats for propulsion centre
When Walter O'Brien was a young boy, he recalls a moment of complete exhilaration when he was able to design and build a balsa wood airplane model that actually flew...
CU-Boulder team aids in record-breaking subatomic particle collisions
A group of University of Colorado at Boulder faculty and students involved in the international Large Hadron Collider project in Europe are celebrating the most powerful smashing of subatomic particles...
Sunset Planet Alert
The solar system's innermost planets are about to put on a beautiful show. Keep an eye on the sunset this weekend for a bright conjunction of Venus and Mercury.
Extracting information from starlight
The light of stars is produced by atoms and molecules that encode, in the starlight itself, key science information about their chemical composition, temperature, pressure, and velocity. To receive and...
The light and dark face of a star-forming nebula
ESO is unveiling an image of the little known Gum 19, a faint nebula that, in the infrared, appears dark on one half and bright on the other. On one...
Giant radio telescope array discussed
ROME, March 31 (UPI) -- A European organization says it held a two-day international workshop in Rome this week to discuss the "Square Kilometer Array" science project.
Space Fans Save Astronaut Buzz Aldrin From 'Dancing With the Stars' Elimination
Space fans saved Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin from Tuesday night's first elimination round on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."
New Map Of Saturn's Moon Reveals 80s Pop Culture Icons
A new high resolution temperature map and images of Saturn's moon Mimas have revealed surprising patterns on the surface of the small moon, including unexpected hot regions that resemble "Pac-Man"...
Exploring the Carina Nebula By Touch
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Hubble Space Telescope's dramatic glimpse of the Carina Nebula, a gigantic cloud of dust and gas bustling with star-making activity, is a glorious feast for the eyes....
NASA Prepares 'Global Hawk' for Takeoff
NASA is gearing up Global Hawk, a remote-controlled airplane, for its first scientific flights in coming weeks.
Meet the periodic table's newest resident: copernicium
Copernicium, a heavier relative of zinc, cadmium and mercury, was first seen in 1996 by German researchers. Named after Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus, it is element 112 and its symbol...
From Eternity To Here: Sean M. Carroll's Quest To Understand Time
Sean M. Carroll, theoretical physicist at the California Institute of Technology talks about his new book "From Eternity To Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time". Plus we...
Africa bids to host mega radio telescope
CARNARVON, South Africa (Reuters) - Africa stands a good chance of beating Australia in a race to host the world's most powerful radio telescope able to peer back billions of...
Mock Mars Explorers Gear Up for Simulated Mission
Six volunteers will lock themselves inside a mock spaceship in Russia for more than a year to simulate a Mars mission.
Sir James Black, OM (1924-2010)
Sir James Black discovered the world’s first blockbuster drug, was awarded a Nobel prize, and rewrote the rules of drug discovery
Spain building its largest solar facility
GRANADA, Spain, March 30 (UPI) -- A solar power facility under construction in southwestern Spain will be the largest in the country when it is completed by year's end,...
8 Wonders of the Solar System (preview)
1 THE RINGS OF SATURN You are cruising in the troposphere of Saturn under the most magnificent ring structure in the solar system. Few sights are more astounding. The white,...
After the next sunset, please turn right
Despite the fact that bats are active after sunset, they rely on the sun as their most trusted source of navigation. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology found...
NASA will study Toyota's accelerator problem
NASA and the National Academy of Sciences are joining the government's effort to figure out what caused the sudden acceleration problems that led to Toyota's massive recalls.
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: Chandra/Spitzer Image
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new image from NASA's Chandra and Spitzer space telescopes shows the dusty remains of a collapsed star. The dust is flying past and engulfing a nearby family...
Early warning system would predict space storms on Mars
Space weather storms will make living on Mars challenging. The first group of colonists won't need umbrellas; they will need safe houses with 30-foot thick walls made of Martian clay...
Caprica star rooting for the robots
Vancouver native Magda Apanowicz, star of the sci-fi TV show Caprica, says we need to think about the impact of our technology before it's too late.
Russian Space Module Set for Launch Aboard the Shuttle Atlantis
The Mini Research Module 1, dubbed Rassvet or "dawn," will be ferried to the orbiting outpost aboard the space shuttle Atlantis during a construction mission planned for liftoff May 14.
Opportunity Surpasses 20 Kilometers of Total Driving
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has now surpassed 20 kilometers (12.43 miles) of total driving since it landed on Mars 74 months ago. The drive taking the rover past that...
U-M Joins with Chinese University to Jointly Fund Renewable Energy and Biomedical Research Projects
The University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China today launched two programs to jointly fund renewable energy and biomedical research projects involving investigators from both universities.