Universe Today (Page 175)

The DARKNESS Instrument Will Block Stars and Reveal Their Planets. 100 Million Times Fainter than the Star

By Matthew Williams - April 23, 2018 02:41 PM UTC | Exoplanets

An international team of scientists has developed the DARKNESS camera, which will allow astronomers to directly study planets around nearby stars.

Did You Know the Earth Has a Second Magnetic Field? Its Oceans

By Matthew Williams - April 21, 2018 12:49 AM UTC | Planetary Science

The ESA's Swarm satellites recently began monitoring Earth's oceans to determine how they contribute to Earth's magnetic field

The Challenges of an Alien Spaceflight Program: Escaping Super Earths and Red Dwarf Stars

By Matthew Williams - April 19, 2018 09:04 PM UTC | Astrobiology

According to two new papers submitted by a Harvard Professor and an independent scientists, extra-terrestrials might have a hard time getting out into space.

This Meteorite is One of the Few Remnants from a Lost Planet that was Destroyed Long Ago

By Evan Gough - April 19, 2018 04:52 PM UTC | Planetary Science

A new study provides evidence of a so-called lost planet that was formed in the early days of the Solar System, and subsequently destroyed in a collision.

Farewell Kepler. Welcome TESS

By Fraser Cain - April 18, 2018 07:18 PM UTC | Exoplanets

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral today, carrying NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite into space. This is a changing of the guard as we say goodbye to Kepler and welcome this newest planet hunter into the skies, ready to help us find another Earth.

Musk Says that SpaceX will use a Giant Party Balloon to Bring an Upper Stage Back. Wait, what?

By Evan Gough - April 18, 2018 07:00 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Elon Musks hints in a tweet that SpaceX wants to use "giant party balloons" to retrieve upper stage rockets.

Weekly Space Hangout: April 18, 2018: Kevin Gill: Art and Science from Juno and MRO

By Fraser Cain - April 18, 2018 01:59 PM UTC | Planetary Science

How to Listen to the Background Hum of Gravitational Waves From all the Black Holes Colliding into Each Other

By Matthew Williams - April 18, 2018 01:30 PM UTC | Black Holes

A pair of scientists who were part of the first gravitational wave discovery have developed a way to listen to the background noise of the Universe to detect thousands more.

The NewSpace Revolution is About to Bring us Tiny Space Telescopes we can all Control

By Matthew Williams - April 17, 2018 06:26 PM UTC | Telescopes

Next year, Randy Chung and Sean League of Space Fab will be launching the world's first space telescope that will be accessible to everyone!

The Aurora Station Will be the First Luxury Hotel in Space

By Evan Gough - April 17, 2018 04:16 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Aurora Station will be the first luxury hotel in space. The station will be open for business in 2022.

Carnival of Space #557

By susie - April 16, 2018 03:05 PM UTC | Site News

Could We Detect an Ancient Industrial Civilization in the Geological Record?

By Matthew Williams - April 16, 2018 02:28 PM UTC | Astrobiology

According to a new study by a team of researchers, it is possible that we might find evidence of another industrial civilization in the geological record

Astronomy Cast Ep. 487: Dark Matter: 2018 Edition

By susie - April 16, 2018 01:20 PM UTC | Cosmology

Look at This Fascinating Variety of Planet-Forming Disks Around Other Stars

By Evan Gough - April 13, 2018 03:26 PM UTC | Exoplanets

New images from the European Southern Observatory show the stunning variety of discs of gas and dust that surround young stars.

Pluto's Charon Gets Mountains Named After Sci-Fi Authors Octavia Butler and Arthur C. Clarke, as Well as Many Others From History and Legend. I Approve!

By Matthew Williams - April 13, 2018 02:32 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The IAU just approved of a dozen names for features on Pluto's moon Charon, which include mountains named after Octavia Butler and Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

Living Underground on Other Worlds. Exploring Lava Tubes

By Fraser Cain - April 12, 2018 04:06 PM UTC | Planetary Science

When humans try to live on the Moon and Mars, they're going to need protection from the harsh environments. Fortunately, there are ready-made homes on these worlds: lava tubes.

See The Finest Sights Before You Die With "Wonders of the Night Sky"

By bob-king - April 12, 2018 03:58 PM UTC | Observing

Want to make sure you don't kick the bucket before seeing the best the night sky has to offer? Then be sure to check out my new book: "Wonders of the Night Sky You Must See Before You Die."

Dense Star Clusters Could be the Places Where Black Hole Mergers are Common

By Matthew Williams - April 12, 2018 03:49 PM UTC | Black Holes

According to a new study by an international team of astronomers, black hole mergers are common in globular star clusters

Elon Musk Just Shared an Image of the Main Body Tool for Building the BFR. That Thing is F'ing Big!

By Matthew Williams - April 11, 2018 10:03 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Elon Musk just released an Instagram post showing a key component of the upcoming BFR - the main body tool that will assemble the fuselage

Zoom In, and In, and In! on this Amazing Falcon 9 Photo by Brady Kenniston

By Fraser Cain - April 11, 2018 04:25 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Weekly Space Hangout: April 11, 2018: Emily Lakdawalla's "The Design and Engineering of Curiosity: How the Mars Rover Performs Its Job"

By Fraser Cain - April 11, 2018 01:41 PM UTC | Missions

Carnival of Space #556

By susie - April 11, 2018 01:34 PM UTC | Site News

New Saturn Storm Emerging?

By David Dickinson - April 11, 2018 10:22 AM UTC | Planetary Science

Astrophotographer Damian Peach raised the alarm on Twitter this past week, of a possible bright storm emerging of the planet Saturn. The spot was noticeable even with the naked eye and in the raw video Peach captured, a sure sign that the storm was a biggie.

Io Afire With Volcanoes Under Juno's Gaze

By bob-king - April 10, 2018 06:49 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Now's Your Chance to Play Kerbal Space Program for Only $12 US

By Fraser Cain - April 10, 2018 05:13 PM UTC | Site News

Proxima Centauri Just Released a Flare so Powerful it was Visible to the Unaided Eye. Planets There Would Get Scorched

By Matthew Williams - April 10, 2018 03:49 PM UTC | Stars

According to a new study, Proxima Centauri experiences superflare activity that would likely render its exoplanet (Proxima b) uninhabitable

What If New York City Had No Light Pollution?

By Fraser Cain - April 10, 2018 01:46 PM UTC | Observing

This is the COOLEST! Everything that's Orbiting the Earth Right Now

By Fraser Cain - April 09, 2018 07:36 PM UTC | Space Exploration

A Magnetar Just Woke Up After Three Years of Silence

By Matthew Williams - April 09, 2018 05:16 PM UTC | Stars

A new study by a team of over 200 international scientists has revealed how a magnetar - a special class of neutron star - has awakened after three years of being dormant.

Astronomy Cast Ep. 486: Particle Physics Update

By susie - April 09, 2018 03:10 PM UTC | Physics

Launching Rockets from Balloons is About to be a Thing, But We Need a Better Name than "Rockoons"

By Evan Gough - April 09, 2018 02:57 PM UTC | Space Exploration

A new company is developing a hybrid rocket-balloon system to launch microsatellites cheaply from high altitude.

Astronomers Just Found 72 Stellar Explosions, but Don't Know What's Causing Them

By Matthew Williams - April 09, 2018 01:53 PM UTC | Stars

Using data from the Dark Energy Survey Supernova program, a team of astronomers recently found 72 supernovae, the largest number discovered to date

NASA Begins Construction of its New Quiet Supersonic Plane

By Matthew Williams - April 06, 2018 03:10 PM UTC | Space Policy

In partnership with Lockheed Martin, NASA has begun developing their quiet supersonic plane, a revolutionary aircraft that will generate quiet sonic booms

Could There Be Life in the Cloudtops of Venus?

By Matthew Williams - April 06, 2018 12:46 PM UTC | Astrobiology

A new study by a team of international researchers shows how microbial life could exist in Venus' cloud tops, an idea suggested almost fifty years ago

The Most Distant Star Ever Seen, Only 4.4 Billion Years After the Big Bang

By Matthew Williams - April 05, 2018 01:16 PM UTC | Extragalactic

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, a team of astronomers recently imaged the most distant star ever seen in a distant galaxy cluster

NASA Simulates Their Orion Abort System. Now That Would be a Crazy Ride

By Matthew Williams - April 04, 2018 04:50 PM UTC | Missions

A team of research scientists recently conducted a series of simulations to see how the Orion Launch Abort System would fair in high speed conditions.

Simulated View of a Newly Forming Planetary System with Rings and Gaps

By Matthew Williams - April 04, 2018 02:06 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Using data from the ALMA array, a team of international astronomers was able to image a newly forming planetary system and predict the presence of a planet.

Weekly Space Hangout: April 4, 2018: Mathew Anderson's "Habitable Exoplanets"

By Fraser Cain - April 04, 2018 11:03 AM UTC | Exoplanets

Tiangong-1 Splashes Down in the Pacific Ocean

By Matthew Williams - April 03, 2018 04:10 PM UTC | Space Exploration

According to a statement made by the US Air Force, the reentry of the Tiangong-1 was confirmed over the Pacific Ocean on April 2nd.

Carnival of Space #555

By susie - April 03, 2018 03:25 PM UTC | Site News

Did You Know That a Satellite Crashes Back to Earth About Once a Week, on Average?

By Matthew Williams - April 03, 2018 02:10 PM UTC | Space Exploration

According to the ESA's Space Debris Office, about 100 tonnes of space debris enters our atmosphere every year on average.

Astronomy Cast Ep. 485: Docking, Refueling, Transferring

By susie - April 02, 2018 03:10 PM UTC | Space Exploration

A New Extrasolar Planet Has The Composition of Mercury, but 2.5 Times the Mass of Earth

By Matthew Williams - March 31, 2018 03:09 PM UTC | Exoplanets

A team of international astronomers recently discovered a Super Earth with a similar composition of Mercury, and is several times hotter!

Hubble Finds a Galaxy with Almost no Dark Matter

By Matthew Williams - March 30, 2018 03:42 PM UTC | Extragalactic

Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and other ground-based observatories, a team of astronomers have found a galaxy that appears to have no dark matter.

Tabby's Star is Dipping Again!

By Matthew Williams - March 29, 2018 03:33 PM UTC | Stars

According to updates by Tabetha Boyajian and her team, it appears that Tabby's Star recently experienced another major dip in brightness.

Here's How to Follow the De-Orbit of Tiangong-1, now Estimated to Happen Between March 30 and April 2

By Matthew Williams - March 29, 2018 01:35 PM UTC | Space Exploration

All across the world, space agencies and satellite trackers are predicting that China's Tiangong-1 space station will enter Earth's atmosphere around April Fool's Day.

Tiangong 1 Falls, Blue Moon Rises and Mars Takes Aim At Saturn

By bob-king - March 29, 2018 09:16 AM UTC | Observing

Skywatchers have a busy weekend ahead. The Chinese space station is expected to burn up in the atmosphere, the Moon is full and Mars and Saturn meet at dawn.