Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Mars lander prepares for digging mission
(AP) -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander spent its first full day in the Martian arctic plains checking its instruments in preparation for an ambitious digging mission to study whether...
OLPC debuts 'new and improved' XO laptop
The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative has launched a new version of their XO laptop, which will host Windows and use less power.
Bulk of Missing "Normal" Matter Found in Cosmic Web
Light from distant quasars has revealed that almost half of the matter astronomers hadn't been able to account for is clustered around wispy ropes spanning the space between galaxies.
Astronomers upgrade Schmidt telescope
CLEVELAND, May 21 (UPI) -- U.S. astronomers say they've upgraded the instrumentation used in the Burrell Schmidt telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, expanding its view.
100 Explosions on the Moon
Not so long ago, anyone claiming to see flashes of light on the Moon would be viewed with deep suspicion by professional astronomers. Such reports were filed under "L" …...
Energy crops take a roasting
A process used to roast coffee beans could give Britain's biomass a power boost, increasing the energy content of some of the UK`s leading energy crops by up to 20...
Authorization Bill for Extra Shuttle Flight Clears House Subcommittee
A bill calling for an extra NASA shuttle flight cleared a House subcomittee.
See the ISS over Europe
Spaceflight enthusiasts are in for a treat for the next few days as the International Space Station will be clearly visible in the night sky above Europe and North America from...
Ambitious NASA Probe to Fly Through Sun's Fringe
NASA is moving ahead with a mission to fly a probe through the Sun's edge.
ESA and space tourism
The general public's interest in suborbital flying is now substantial. Such flights could offer a realistic opportunity to 'touch' space by experiencing weightlessness and seeing the curvature of the...
Report Charges Interference on Emissions
According to sworn depositions, the White House influenced the E.P.A. administrator’s decision to deny California’s request to limit tailpipe emissions.
Spacewatch
Alan Pickup: The three crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) might expect to see the Sun rise and set every 91 minutes, during each of their orbits of...
NASA's 50th birthday marked in art exhibit
WASHINGTON, May 20 (UPI) -- The Smithsonian Institution says it will honor the U.S. space agency's 50th birthday with a traveling art exhibition.
NASA device helps detect biohazards
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif., May 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it's developed a nanotechnology-based biosensor that can detect trace amounts of biohazards.
NASA plans to honor late astronaut Swigert
WASHINGTON, May 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it plans to honor the late U.S. astronaut John Swigert Jr. with the presentation of an Ambassador of...
Emergency Links: 'Sweet Spot' For Radios In Tunnels Identified
Researchers have confirmed that underground tunnels -- generally a difficult setting for radios -- can have a frequency "sweet spot" at which signals may travel several times farther than at...
U.S-French satellite to track sea levels
PASADENA, Calif., May 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. and French space agencies are preparing to launch a satellite that will monitor Earth's sea levels to help scientists better...
Mars Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter
JPL has a page on social-networking site Facebook and is also using micro-blogging site Twitter.
Phoenix moves closer to Mars landing
PARIS, May 20 (UPI) -- The European Space Agency said its controllers have successfully made a slight course correction to adjust the Phoenix's flight patch toward Mars.
ESA and Argentina sign extension of Cooperation Agreement
On 8 May 2008, the Cooperation Agreement between the Argentine Republic and ESA was renewed for five years.
Robot to Dig Martian Arctic
NASA's newest lander to address questions of water and life on Mars.
Observatory: Arc-Shaped Troughs on Europa May Be Sign of Wandering Poles
Scientists have come up with an explanation for some puzzling features on Jupiter’s moon.
Antennae Galaxies
This image of the Antennae galaxies is the sharpest yet of this merging pair of galaxies. During the course of the collision, billions of stars will be formed. The brightest...
NASA offers HD glimpse of life on the ISS
HOUSTON, May 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency said it will telecast a high-definition glimpse of life in space with a special program to be broadcast beginning...
Scientists work on 3-D mapping of planets
ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 19 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they're developing a technology to produce three-dimensional maps of various planets and moons.
The mouse that roared: pipsqueak star unleashes monster flare
On April 25, NASA`s Swift satellite picked up the brightest flare ever seen from a normal star other than our Sun. The flare, an explosive release of energy from a...
Galaxies Twice as Bright as They Seem, Study Finds
New results, which indicate galaxies are twice as luminous as they appear to us in the sky, resolve a longstanding problem with the energy budget of the cosmos.
Can One 'Pin Down' Electrons?
Experiments by physicists end a long-lasting dispute with an answer that apparently satisfies everyone. When atoms form molecules, they share their outer electrons and this creates a negatively charged cloud....