Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
With Hubble still wonky, NASA sends shuttle back to hangar
NASA has ordered the space shuttle Atlantis from its launch pad back to the hangar Monday after its mission to the Hubble space telescope was officially delayed until next year.
NASA's Phoenix Lander Weathers Martian Dust Storm
The Phoenix Lander over the weekend successfully weathered a regional dust storm that temporarily lowered its solar power, and the team is back investigating the Red Planet's northern plains.
Violently Variable Black Holes Probed
Unique observations of the flickering light from the surroundings of two black holes provide new insights into the colossal energy that flows at their hearts. By mapping out how well...
The Jellyfish Engineer
It's just after sunset in Long Beach, California, and John Dabiri stands on the end of a wooden dock, peering down at the water. In his white sneakers and striped...
Earth-like Planets May Be Easier To Find Than Previously Thought: Young Planets Stay Hotter Longer
Hot, young planets may be easier to spot because they stay that way longer than astronomers have thought. A new study shows that newborn Earth-like planets could be easier to...
Lunar robot to begin field tests in Hawaii
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says an 880-pound robot designed to locate water and other resources on the moon will soon be field tested...
Sensitive Laser Instrument Could Aid Search For Life On Mars
Minuscule traces of cells can be detected in a mineral likely present on Mars, researchers report in the current online issue of the peer-reviewed Geomicrobiology Journal. The results, obtained using...
NASA releases its 50-year documentary
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the premier of the documentary "50 Years of Exploration: The Golden Anniversary of...
Europe Aims For Re-entry Spacecraft
Europe develops re-entry spacecraft that could return astronauts and cargo to Earth.
Von Braun Sketches to be Auctioned
Sketches, diagrams, and letters from the pioneering rocket scientist Wernher von Braun will be auctioned off Wednesday.
Model predicts a system's remaining life and links info to inventory decisions
New research at the Georgia Institute of Technology could soon make predicting the degradation and remaining useful life of mechanical and electronic equipment easier and more accurate, while significantly improving...
Hubble, heal thyself
NASA scientists are cleared to remotely switch equipment on Hubble in the hopes of restoring the orbiting observatory’s function
Sensors for agriculture fields are created
AMES, Iowa, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they are developing a system of underground transceivers and sensors designed to collect data involving soil moisture within a...
So close, yet so far away
Astronomers discover a binary system that boasts the widest separation known in the solar system
New images yield clues to seasons of Uranus
(PhysOrg.com) -- With an 84-year orbit around the sun, it isn't often that planetary scientists have an opportunity to observe the change of seasons on Uranus, a planet some 19...
Rocket racer is 'go' for show
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: The Rocket Racing League's latest-generation racing plane gets clearance for public demonstrations, but the shows won't begin until next year.
Targeting Space Debris Using Networks
How to deal with the ever-increasing problem of space debris, poses a major challenge for space agencies, industry and academia around the globe. Now, research suggests a new technique for...
How Dust Rings Point To Exo-Earths With Supercomputer's Help
Supercomputer simulations of dusty disks around sunlike stars show that planets nearly as small as Mars can create patterns that future telescopes may be able to detect. The research points...
Infant Stars Caught Feeding
The Very Large Telescope gives astronomers glimpse at gases around young stars.
Q & A: What Happened to the Golf Ball the Astronaut Hit on the Moon?
Why did Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the Moon, and what happened to it?
Cosmic Log: Life on Earth's final frontier
A strange breed of bacteria that has been found living alone, nearly two miles underground, is just the kind of creature suited to survive far beneath the surface of Mars,...
JPL's Jon Giorgini Honored With Masursky Award
Jon Giorgini, an engineer at JPL, has received the prestigious Harold Masursky Award, presented by the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences.
The Long Countdown: In Russia, a Second Home for U.S. Astronauts
American astronauts have developed mutual respect for their Russian counterparts during years of cooperation.
Joost relaunching TV site as online shows abound
(AP) -- Forget about the boob tube. Places to watch TV on the Internet are proliferating, from NBC Universal and News Corp.'s Hulu to Joost - a site that...
Moist Convection Can Drive Jet Streams on All Four Giant Planets
(PhysOrg.com) -- Turbulence generated by thunderstorms can drive the multiple east-west jet streams on the giant planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - and explain a long-standing...
Dark energy: the quest for galaxies
South Pole Telescope offers fresh view of Universe's expansion.
Hubble Repair Delay Puts Ares 1-X Rocket Test on Hold
The Hubble servicing mission delay will slow testing of a new rocket.
NASA's Spitzer Gets Sneak Peak Inside Comet Holmes
When comet Holmes unexpectedly erupted in 2007, professional and amateur astronomers around the world turned their telescopes toward the spectacular event.