Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Kepler captures first views of planet-hunting territory
NASA's Kepler mission has taken its first images of the star-rich sky where it will soon begin hunting for planets like Earth. The new 'first light' images show the mission's...
Mars Rover Spirit Healthy, But Computer Reboots Raise Concerns
The team operating NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is examining data received from Spirit in recent days to diagnose why the rover apparently rebooted its computer at least twice over...
NASA Experiment Stirs Up Hope For Forecasting Deadliest Cyclones
NASA satellite data and a new modeling approach could improve weather forecasting and save more lives when future cyclones develop.
Space-Based Solar Power Coming to California in 2016
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the near future, a solar power satellite may be supplying electricity to 250,000 homes around Fresno County, California. Unlike ground-based solar arrays, satellites would be unaffected by...
New ISS module name honours Apollo 11 anniversary
The International Space Station (ISS) module formerly known as Node 3 has a new name. After more than a million online responses, the node will be called 'Tranquility'...
PHOTOS: Solar Explosions Revealed by Twin Spacecraft
It can look and act like a Slinky, but plasma ejected from the sun is no game, and new 3-D technology is allowing for early warnings of the worst space...
Hubble witnesses spectacular flaring in extragalactic jet from M87's black hole
A flare-up in a jet of matter blasting from a monster black hole is giving astronomers an incredible light show. The outburst is coming from a blob of matter, called...
Rocket Launches Damage Ozone Layer, Study Says
Solid-fuel rockets used to send up spacecraft could be the world's next worrisome emission sources, especially as space tourism takes off, according to new research.
Mars Sprinkled with Salty Mysteries
Detection of perchlorate by Phoenix lander has implications for water, ice, life on Mars.
Endeavour to move to stand-by launch pad
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., April 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it will move space shuttle Endeavour to a launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center to...
Op-Ed Contributor: Boldly Going Nowhere
The desire to walk on an alien planet will not — any century soon — be sated by human-filled starships. Instead, we will extend our senses beyond Earth with telepresence...
Thieving dwarves cause supernovae
Researchers suggest that a common type of supernova occurs early because it steals mass from a nearby helium star.
Scientist at Work: John Grunsfeld: Last Voyage for the Keeper of the Hubble
For 18 years, one astronaut has tended to the Hubble’s needs. On May 12, John Grunsfeld is scheduled to ride to the telescope’s rescue one last time.
Nickel "Famine" Led to Oxygen-Breathing Life?
Life as we know it may have evolved because Earth's early oceans ran low on nickel, a new study suggests.
Astronaut Eager to Hug Hubble Again
NASA astronaut Mike Massimino is getting ready for his second space shuttle flight to the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA Heads up Mt. Everest
Steve "Ark" Vander Ark takes a deep breath at the foot of the stairs in a lonely, dusky stairwell, then turns and heads up ten long flights of steps -...
U.S. space tourist, crew return to Earth
ALMATY (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying U.S. billionaire Charles Simonyi and a Russian-American crew touched down safely in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.
Weekend Sky Show: Little Green Comet Nears Earth
First reported late last month, the currently tail-less comet Yi-SWAN should be visible to backyard telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere from mid-April until about mid-May.
The Search for the Solar System's Lost Planet
Twin spacecrafts are heading out to search for leftovers from a rumored lost planet of the solar system.
The Rev. Stanley L. Jaki, Physicist and Theologian, Dies at 84
Father Jaki, a Benedictine priest, wrote extensively, delving into the histories of science and religion and exploring their boundaries.
Starwatch
As part of the Hubble Space Telescope's contribution to the International Year of Astronomy, and as a result of a
Some Massive Galaxies May Be Relatively New: Discovery Challenges Galaxy Formation Theories
Astronomer have found a sample of massive galaxies with properties that suggest that they may have formed relatively recently. This would run counter to the widely-held belief that massive, luminous...
Heavyweights spotted in the early universe
Newfound massive galaxies may force theorists to revisit leading formation model
Students Venture into Hearts of Violent Storms
Researchers brave the wind, rain, and hail, to set up instruments to collect valuable data for understanding extreme weather events.
NASA Moves Rescue Shuttle for Risky Hubble Repair Mission
The rescue ship for NASA's Hubble Space Telescope mission moved closer to the launch pad Friday.
NASA Heads up Mt. Everest
NASA researchers are about to climb the slopes of Earth's tallest mountain to test exploration technologies they'll need on the Moon and Mars.
Earth's Dwindling Resources Drive Space Exploration
Author Marsha Freeman spotlights the life of German rocket engineer Krafft Ehricke in 'Extraterrestrial Imperative.'
Night Sky Goes to the Dogs
Soaring high in the eastern sky and almost overhead at around midnight are the two stars marking the Hunting Dogs.