Universe Today (Page 176)

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.

Weekly Space Hangout: March 28, 2018: Austin Wintory & Anthony Lund - "A Light In The Void"

By Fraser Cain - March 28, 2018 05:03 PM UTC | Site News

Watch the Sun to Know When We're Going to Have Killer Auroras

By Evan Gough - March 28, 2018 04:38 PM UTC | Solar Astronomy

Scientists are getting better at predicting colorful auroras here on Earth by closely watching the behavior of the Sun.

Try to Contain Your Surprise. James Webb is Getting Delayed to 2020

By Matthew Williams - March 27, 2018 02:38 PM UTC | Missions

After being assessed by the Standing Review Board, NASA has announced that the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope's will be delayed until 2020.

NASA's Curiosity Rover Enjoys its 2000th Day on Mars

By Matthew Williams - March 26, 2018 06:17 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The Curiosity rover recently passed another major milestone. Since it landed in 2012, it has spent a total of 2000 Martian days (sols) exploring the Red Planet!

Astronomy Cast Ep. 484: Transfer Orbits and Gravitational Assists

By susie - March 26, 2018 05:05 PM UTC | Missions

Wow, Elon Musk Just Deleted the Facebook Pages for SpaceX and Tesla

By Matthew Williams - March 26, 2018 03:29 PM UTC | Space Policy

In response to the news of the Facebook data breach, SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk has chosen to delete his companies official accounts

About 2.3 Billion Years Ago, a Firehose of Oxygen was Released Into the Atmosphere

By Matthew Williams - March 26, 2018 02:31 PM UTC | Planetary Science

According to a new study by an international team of scientists, oxygen was introduced rather rapidly to Earth's atmosphere over 2 billion years ago

Carnival of Space #554

By susie - March 26, 2018 01:57 PM UTC | Site News

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Will Touch the Sun — So Can You

By bob-king - March 25, 2018 02:53 PM UTC | Solar Astronomy

Join NASA's most daring mission to the Sun by sending your name along for the ride on the Parker Solar Probe that's set to launch this summer.

That Interstellar Asteroid 'Oumuamua Probably Came From a Binary Star System

By Matthew Williams - March 24, 2018 08:10 PM UTC | Stars

According to a new study by a team of Canadian astronomers, the interstellar asteroid 'Oumuamua likely came from a binary star system

China is Working on a Rocket as Powerful as the Saturn V, Could Launch by 2030

By Matthew Williams - March 23, 2018 02:02 PM UTC | Space Exploration

As part of their goal to conduct a crewed mission to the Moon, China is busy developing the Long March 9 - a heavy rocket as powerful as the Saturn V

Volcanoes on Mars Helped Form its Early Oceans

By Matthew Williams - March 23, 2018 01:40 PM UTC | Planetary Science

According to a new study by a team from UC Berkeley, the existence of oceans on Mars may have had to do a lot with early volcanic activity

70,000 Years Ago a Nearby Star Messed With the Orbits Of Comets and Asteroids in our Solar System

By Evan Gough - March 22, 2018 03:54 PM UTC | Solar Astronomy

70,000 years ago, Scholz's Star visited our neighbourhood, and changed the trajectories of hundreds of objects in out Solar System.

Researchers Create the Most Detailed Simulation of the Universe Ever Made

By Matthew Williams - March 22, 2018 02:22 PM UTC | Cosmology

The team behind Illustris have now released the first results of their IllustrisTNG simulation, the most accurate simulation of the Universe to date.

Weekly Space Hangout: March 21, 2018: Marian Call, Singer/Songwriter

By Fraser Cain - March 21, 2018 07:27 PM UTC | Site News

TRAPPIST-1 Planets Might Actually Have Too Much Water to be Habitable

By Matthew Williams - March 21, 2018 05:29 PM UTC | Exoplanets

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

Astronomy Cast Ep. 483: Stopping in Space

By susie - March 19, 2018 05:05 PM UTC | Physics

Carnival of Space #553

By susie - March 19, 2018 03:55 PM UTC | Site News

Astronomers Have Detected the Brightest Fast Radio Burst Ever Seen. Still No Idea What's Causing Them

By Matthew Williams - March 19, 2018 03:34 PM UTC | Extragalactic

Earlier this month, scientists using the Parkes Radio Telescope detected three FRBs, one of which was the brightest ever observed

New Horizons Team Has a New Nickname for the Spacecraft's Next Target

By Matthew Williams - March 19, 2018 01:59 PM UTC | Missions

The first Kuiper Belt Object that the New Horizons mission will investigate - MU69 - just received the nickname "Ultima Thule"

Kepler's Almost Out of Fuel. It'll Make its Last Observation in a Few Months

By Matthew Williams - March 19, 2018 12:42 PM UTC | Exoplanets

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.

The First SpaceX BFR Should Make Orbital Launches by 2020

By Matthew Williams - March 16, 2018 03:36 PM UTC | Space Exploration

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

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

By Matthew Williams - March 15, 2018 05:57 PM UTC | Planetary Science

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

Astronomy Cast now available via Amazon's Alexa!

By susie - March 15, 2018 02:35 PM UTC | Site News

If We Do Hear Signals From Aliens, They're Probably Long Gone

By Matthew Williams - March 15, 2018 01:22 PM UTC | Astrobiology

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

Weekly Space Hangout: March 14, 2018: Ethan Good, Visiting Vehicles Officer at JSC

By Fraser Cain - March 14, 2018 05:15 PM UTC | Site News

Stephen Hawking has passed away at age 76

By Matthew Williams - March 14, 2018 02:45 PM UTC | Physics

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.

7% of Scott Kelly's Genes Changed After a Year in Space

By Matthew Williams - March 13, 2018 04:26 PM UTC | Space Exploration

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

Hard Not to Get a Little Teary Watching this Video from SpaceX About the Falcon Heavy Launch

By Matthew Williams - March 13, 2018 03:04 PM UTC | Space Exploration

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

James Webb is Enduring its Final Stage of Testing Before it Ships off for Kourou, French Guiana

By Matthew Williams - March 13, 2018 01:54 PM UTC | Telescopes

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

Scientists Propose An Asteroid Nuke Mission To Save Earth From Potential Destruction

By Evan Gough - March 12, 2018 05:50 PM UTC | Planetary Science

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.

Carnival of Space #552

By susie - March 12, 2018 04:00 PM UTC | Site News

Messier 67 - the King Cobra Open Star Cluster

By tammy-plotner - March 12, 2018 03:00 PM UTC | Stars

Located between 2610 and 2930 light years from Earth is the King Cobra Cluster (aka. Messier 67), one of the oldest open star clusters

Could There be Alien Life Right Beneath the Surface of Icy Worlds Like Enceladus and Europa?

By Matthew Williams - March 12, 2018 02:57 PM UTC | Astrobiology

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.

Astronomy Cast Ep. 482: Alternative Ways to Space

By susie - March 12, 2018 02:04 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Jupiter's Atmospheric Bands Go Surprisingly Deep

By Matthew Williams - March 10, 2018 04:45 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Three new studies have been released based on Juno data that have revealed new things about Jupiter's atmospheric bands and interior.

Air-Breathing Electric Thruster Could Keep Satellites in Low Earth Orbit for Years

By Matthew Williams - March 09, 2018 04:15 PM UTC | Space Exploration

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

Gaze in Wonder at Jupiter's Mysterious Geometric Polar Storms

By Evan Gough - March 09, 2018 04:02 PM UTC | Planetary Science

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.

James Webb Telescope is Probably Going to be Delayed Again, and Could Exceed a Congress Spending Cap

By Matthew Williams - March 09, 2018 12:51 PM UTC | Telescopes

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.

Hubble Sees a Huge Dust Cloud Around a Newly Forming Star

By Evan Gough - March 09, 2018 12:43 PM UTC | Stars

The Hubble has detected a massive dust cloud 150 billion miles across around the young star HR 4796A.

A New Planetary System Has Been Found with Three Super Earths

By Matthew Williams - March 08, 2018 04:53 PM UTC | Exoplanets

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

Rosetta's 67P Is The Result Of A Collision Of Two Comets

By Evan Gough - March 08, 2018 02:17 PM UTC | Planetary Science

A new study from scientists with France's CNRS explains how comets like 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko acquire and retain their multi-lobed shapes.

Catch Sight of Humanity Star... While You Can

By David Dickinson - March 08, 2018 08:53 AM UTC | Stars

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?

Weekly Space Hangout: March 7, 2018: Yoav Landsman and SpaceIL

By Fraser Cain - March 07, 2018 04:42 PM UTC | Site News

Astronomers See A Dead Star Come Back To Life Thanks To A Donor Star

By Evan Gough - March 07, 2018 02:44 PM UTC | Stars

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.

Scientists Find that Earth Bacteria Could Thrive on Enceladus

By Matthew Williams - March 07, 2018 12:48 PM UTC | Astrobiology

A recent study by a team of German scientists has demonstrated that a certain strain of Earth bacteria could survive on Enceladus

Astronaut Scott Tingle Was Able To Control A Ground-Based Robot... From Space.

By Evan Gough - March 06, 2018 03:04 PM UTC | Space Exploration

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.

Carnival of Space #551

By susie - March 06, 2018 01:31 PM UTC | Site News

Engineers Develop a Whole New Way to Use Curiosity's Drill After a Recent Hardware Failure

By Matthew Williams - March 05, 2018 07:07 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Due to a mechanical failure, engineers at NASA JPL have developed a new method for the Curiosity drill, which was just tested successfully