Universe Today
Weekly Space Hangout: March 21, 2018: Marian Call, Singer/Songwriter
TRAPPIST-1 Planets Might Actually Have Too Much Water to be Habitable
A new study has cast doubt on whether or not the TRAPPIST-1 system could be habitable, indicating that it has too much water to support life
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 483: Stopping in Space
Carnival of Space #553
Astronomers Have Detected the Brightest Fast Radio Burst Ever Seen. Still No Idea What's Causing Them
Earlier this month, scientists using the Parkes Radio Telescope detected three FRBs, one of which was the brightest ever observed
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New Horizons Team Has a New Nickname for the Spacecraft's Next Target
The first Kuiper Belt Object that the New Horizons mission will investigate - MU69 - just received the nickname "Ultima Thule"
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Kepler's Almost Out of Fuel. It'll Make its Last Observation in a Few Months
The Kepler mission, which is responsible for the majority of exoplanet discoveries, is running out of fuel and will be making its final discoveries over the next few months.
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The First SpaceX BFR Should Make Orbital Launches by 2020
According to a recent interview Musk made at the 2018 SXSW conference, the BFR will be ready to conduct test launches in the next two years
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This Bizarre Image is a 3D Scan of a Cave Network in Spain. This Technology Could be Used to Map Out Lava Tubes on the Moon and Mars
A team that participated in the ESA's Pangaea-X program recently produced the largest 3D image of a cave system in Spain, and the technology could be used to map out lava tubes on the Moon and Mars too
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Astronomy Cast now available via Amazon's Alexa!
If We Do Hear Signals From Aliens, They're Probably Long Gone
According to a new study that included the Frank Drake, any alien signals humanity detects will have likely come from a civilization that has since gone extinct
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Weekly Space Hangout: March 14, 2018: Ethan Good, Visiting Vehicles Officer at JSC
Stephen Hawking has passed away at age 76
Stephen Hawking passed away on Wednesday morning, March 14th, at his home in Cambridge. He leaves behind a loving family, millions of admirers, and an unparalleled scientific legacy.
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7% of Scott Kelly's Genes Changed After a Year in Space
The NASA Twin Study, which assessed how spending a year aboard the ISS affected Scott Kelly's health (compared to his twin brother, Mark), has just been released
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Hard Not to Get a Little Teary Watching this Video from SpaceX About the Falcon Heavy Launch
In honor of the successful launch of the Falcon Heavy, SpaceX has released an inspiring video of the event that shows the highlights of the event
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James Webb is Enduring its Final Stage of Testing Before it Ships off for Kourou, French Guiana
The James Webb Space Telescope just entered the final phase of integration and testing before being shipped off to French Guiana, where it will launch in 2019
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Scientists Propose An Asteroid Nuke Mission To Save Earth From Potential Destruction
NASA's HAMMER (Hyper-velocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) is a plan to protect us from asteroids, either with kinetic impactors, or with NUKES.
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Carnival of Space #552
Messier 67 - the King Cobra Open Star Cluster
Located between 2610 and 2930 light years from Earth is the King Cobra Cluster (aka. Messier 67), one of the oldest open star clusters
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Could There be Alien Life Right Beneath the Surface of Icy Worlds Like Enceladus and Europa?
A new study conducted with the support of the NASA Astrobiology Institute has theorized that life may exist on the undersides of Europa's icy surface.
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 482: Alternative Ways to Space
Jupiter's Atmospheric Bands Go Surprisingly Deep
Three new studies have been released based on Juno data that have revealed new things about Jupiter's atmospheric bands and interior.
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Air-Breathing Electric Thruster Could Keep Satellites in Low Earth Orbit for Years
For the first time, team of ESA scientists recently developed and tested an air-breathing electric thruster, which could open the way for an entirely new class of satellite
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Gaze in Wonder at Jupiter's Mysterious Geometric Polar Storms
Each of Jupiter's poles is a beautiful, geometric arrangement of Earth-sized cyclones. In the north, 8 storms surround one central storm, while on the south, 5 storms surround one in the center.
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James Webb Telescope is Probably Going to be Delayed Again, and Could Exceed a Congress Spending Cap
According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope is likely to be delayed again, and exceed its cost cap.
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Hubble Sees a Huge Dust Cloud Around a Newly Forming Star
The Hubble has detected a massive dust cloud 150 billion miles across around the young star HR 4796A.
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A New Planetary System Has Been Found with Three Super Earths
A team of astronomers recently discovered a system of three exoplanets that are just 100 light years from Earth, making them ideal for future studies
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Rosetta's 67P Is The Result Of A Collision Of Two Comets
A new study from scientists with France's CNRS explains how comets like 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko acquire and retain their multi-lobed shapes.
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Catch Sight of Humanity Star... While You Can
It's a question I've gotten lots, now that the calendar has flipped over from February to March.
The satellite: When will we get our first good look at the Humanity Star reflector satellite?
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Weekly Space Hangout: March 7, 2018: Yoav Landsman and SpaceIL
Astronomers See A Dead Star Come Back To Life Thanks To A Donor Star
Two stars are caught in a unique relationship. The larger red giant star sheds material which its companion neutron star consumes, producing x-rays as a result.
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Scientists Find that Earth Bacteria Could Thrive on Enceladus
A recent study by a team of German scientists has demonstrated that a certain strain of Earth bacteria could survive on Enceladus
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Astronaut Scott Tingle Was Able To Control A Ground-Based Robot... From Space.
The ESA is working on artificially intelligent robots that could be controlled from a distance by astronauts. The pair could work as a team to accomplish maintenance and other tasks on future planetary missions.
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Carnival of Space #551
Engineers Develop a Whole New Way to Use Curiosity's Drill After a Recent Hardware Failure
Due to a mechanical failure, engineers at NASA JPL have developed a new method for the Curiosity drill, which was just tested successfully
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 481: Rockets pt. 3 - Going Faster, Higher, Farther after Fairing Separation
Saturn Photobombs a Picture of the Martian Moon Phobos
While taking pictures of the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, the Mars Express probe also captures pictures of Saturn in the background
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Book Review: Inventing a Space Mission
The Biggest Airplane Taxis Down the Runway, By 2020 it Could Be Launching Rockets
In preparation for its maiden flight, StratoLaunch's Roc aircraft - the largest aircraft in the world - recently conducted its second successful taxi test
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Did the Milky Way Steal These Stars or Kick Them Out of the Galaxy?
A new study by an international team of astronomers has determined that stars in the Milky Way's halo actually formed in our galaxy and were then kicked out
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Space Catapult Startup SpinLaunch has Come Out of Stealth Mode. Space catapults? Yes Please
Reclusive SpinLaunch founder Jonathon Yaney recently broke his silence about his vision to reduce the costs of space exploration by developing a space catapult
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Bacteria Surviving On Musk's Tesla Are Either A Bio-threat Or A Backup Copy Of Life On Earth
Is Musk's Tesla Roadster in space a biological threat to life on other worlds, a back-up for life on Earth, or a harmless bauble?
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Weekly Space Hangout: Feb 28, 2018: Will Kalif's "See It With A Small Telescope"
Amazing High Resolution Image of the Core of the Milky Way, a Region with Surprisingly Low Star Formation Compared to Other Galaxies
An international team of astronomers recently conducted a study of the Milky Way center to determine why it has a comparatively low rate of star formation.
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Proxima Centauri Just Released a Deadly Flare, so it's Probably not a Great Place for Habitable Planets
A new study recorded a massive flare coming from Proxima Centauri, a finding which casts doubt on it having any habitable planets.
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Carnival of Space #550
Precise New Measurements From Hubble Confirm the Accelerating Expansion of the Universe. Still no Idea Why it's Happening
A new survey performed by the SHoES team using Hubble has confirmed that the Universe is in an accelerated rate of expansion.
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22 Years Of The Sun From Soho
SOHO is celebrating a huge milestone, and one it was never intended to meet: it has now observed one complete, 22-year cycle in the life of the Sun.
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 480: Rockets pt. 2 - Multi-stage Boosters
Venus Returns to the Dusk Sky
Where have all the planets gone? The end of February 2018 sees the three naked eye outer planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn-- hiding in the dawn. It takes an extra effort to brave the chill of a February morning, for sure. The good news is, the two inner planets – Mercury and Venus – begin favorable dusk apparitions this week, putting on a fine sunset showing in March.
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