Universe Today (Page 194)

Brightest 'Spot' on Ceres is Likely a Cryovolcano

By Nancy Atkinson - March 07, 2017 05:02 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Mineral Points To A Water Rich Mars

By Matthew Williams - March 07, 2017 02:33 PM UTC | Planetary Science

A new experiment conducted by an international team researchers has shown that Martian meteorites may have lost their water, indicating that Mars was wetter in the past than previously thought.

Towards A New Understanding Of Dark Matter

By Evan Gough - March 06, 2017 06:09 PM UTC | Cosmology

Could Primordial Black Holes be what the Universe's dark matter is made of?

Carnival of Space #499

By susie - March 06, 2017 04:24 PM UTC | Site News

Messier 36 - The Pinwheel Cluster

By tammy-plotner - March 06, 2017 03:40 PM UTC | Stars

Located in the Auriga Constellation, roughly 4000 light years from Earth, is the open star cluster known as Messier 36 (aka. the Pinwheel Cluster)

NASA's Plans to Explore Europa and Other "Ocean Worlds"

By Matthew Williams - March 03, 2017 09:34 PM UTC | Planetary Science

At the Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop this week, NASA made a series of presentations outlining plants to explore Europa and other places in the Solar System where life could exist.

This Asteroid Broke In Half, and Then Both Halves Grew Tails Like Comets

By Matthew Williams - March 03, 2017 02:46 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Analysis by a team of international researchers has found an asteroid pair has formed tails after they split, making them more like comets than asteroids.

Rise of the Super Telescopes: The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

By Evan Gough - March 03, 2017 02:40 PM UTC | Telescopes

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope is different than the other Super Telescopes. It has its own agenda.

Weekly Space Hangout - March 3, 2017: Dr. Alan Stern of New Horizons

By Fraser Cain - March 03, 2017 01:11 PM UTC | Missions

Catch 'The Great American Occultation' of Aldebaran Saturday Night

By David Dickinson - March 03, 2017 08:23 AM UTC | Observing

Ever watch the Moon cover up a star? There's a great chance to see just such an event this coming weekend, when the waxing gibbous Moon occults (passes in front of) the bright star Aldebaran for much of North America.

Curiosity Watches a Dust Devil Go Past

By ken-kremer - March 02, 2017 11:22 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Tis a season of incredible wind driven activity on Mars like few before witnessed by our human emissaries ! Its summer on the Red Planet and the talented scientists directing NASA's Curiosity rover have targeted the robots cameras so proficiently that they have efficiently spotted a multitude of 'Dust Devils' racing across the dunes fields of Gale Crater.

NASA Proposes a Magnetic Shield to Protect Mars' Atmosphere

By Matthew Williams - March 02, 2017 06:43 PM UTC | Planetary Science

At the recent Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop, Director Jim Green and a panel of scientists proposed deploying a magnetic shield to protect Mars.

When Galaxies Collide, Stars Suffer the Consequences

By Matthew Williams - March 02, 2017 03:31 PM UTC | Extragalactic

A study by a team of scientists at the University of Sheffield suggests that stars being ripped apart due to galactic collisions might be 100 times more common than previously thought.

Astronomy Cast Ep. 442: Destroy and Rebuild Pt. 6: Magnetic Pole Reversal

By Fraser Cain - March 02, 2017 03:13 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Some Active Process is Cracking Open These Faults on Mars. But What is it?

By Matthew Williams - March 02, 2017 01:02 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Mars' northern polar region is home to long lines of small pits, hinting at the presence of some dynamic process in the ice cap.

Volcanic Hydrogen Gives Planets a Boost for Life

By Matthew Williams - March 01, 2017 10:59 PM UTC | Astrobiology

A new study by a team of astronomers from the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University indicates that habitable zones may be bigger than previously thought.

What the Oldest Fossil on Earth Means for Finding Life on Mars

By Nancy Atkinson - March 01, 2017 06:08 PM UTC | Astrobiology

Rise of the Super Telescopes: The European Extremely Large Telescope

By Evan Gough - March 01, 2017 04:00 PM UTC | Telescopes

Once the E-ELT is completed in 2014, it will be the largest optical/infrared observatory in the world.

7 Questions For 7 New Planets

By Evan Gough - March 01, 2017 01:24 PM UTC | Exoplanets

The TRAPPIST 7 have some explaining to do. Are they really Earth-like and potentially habitable?

How Far is Mercury from the Sun?

By Matthew Williams - March 01, 2017 09:00 AM UTC | Planetary Science

As the closest (and most eccentric) planet to our Sun, Mercury's distance ranges from 46 million km (28.58 million mi) at perihelion to 57.9 million km (35.98 million mi) at aphelion.

We're Not Saying It's Aliens Because It's Not Aliens. But Check Out These UFO Data Visualizations

By Matthew Williams - February 28, 2017 10:53 PM UTC | Site News

Sam Monfort, a Doctoral Candidate at George Mason University, has created a series of visuals that illustrate the trends in UFO reporting.

Finally, the Missing Link in Planetary Formation!

By Matthew Williams - February 28, 2017 06:07 PM UTC | Planetary Science

A new study by an international team of scientists may be the "missing link" in our understanding of how planets form from debris disks.

You Can't See the Great Wall of China From Space, But You Can See Their Giant Solar Farm

By Nancy Atkinson - February 28, 2017 04:59 PM UTC | Solar Astronomy

Rise of the Super Telescopes: The Overwhelmingly Large Telescope

By Evan Gough - February 28, 2017 02:27 PM UTC | Telescopes

The Overwhelmingly Large Telescope is an 'almost telescope' that never got built. But the design and thinking behind it have helped shaped the future.

Join the Eclipse MegaMovie 2017 Chronicling the August Total Solar Eclipse

By David Dickinson - February 28, 2017 10:48 AM UTC | Solar Astronomy

Ready for the "Great American Eclipse?" We're now less than six months out from the long-anticipated total solar eclipse spanning the contiguous United States from coast-to-coast. And while folks are scrambling to make last minute plans to stand in the path of totality on Monday, August 21st 2017 a unique project seeks seeks to document the view across the entire path.

Rise of the Super Telescopes: The Giant Magellan Telescope

By Evan Gough - February 27, 2017 06:20 PM UTC | Telescopes

The Giant Magellan Telescope is being built in Chile by a consortium of nations. It should see first light in the early 2020s.

Elon Musk Announces Daring SpaceX Dragon Flight Beyond Moon with 2 Private Astronauts in 2018

By ken-kremer - February 27, 2017 06:06 PM UTC | Space Exploration

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - Breaking News - Elon Musk, billionaire founder and CEO of SpaceX, announced today (27 Feb) a daring plan to launch a commercial manned journey to beyond the Moon and back in 2018 flying aboard an advanced crewed Dragon spacecraft paid for by two private astronauts - at a media telecon.

This is Actual Science. Crystals at the Earth's Core Power its Magnetic Field

By Matthew Williams - February 27, 2017 03:18 PM UTC | Planetary Science

A new study from the Tokyo Institute of Technology has shown how crystallization in the Earth's core may be what drives its magnetic field.

Carnival of Space #498

By susie - February 27, 2017 12:58 PM UTC | Site News

NASA Studies Whether to Add Crew to 1st SLS Megarocket Moon Launch in 2019

By ken-kremer - February 25, 2017 04:51 PM UTC | Space Policy

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - At the request of the new Trump Administration, NASA has initiated a month long study to determine the feasibility of converting the first integrated unmanned launch of the agency's new Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and Orion capsule into a crewed mission that would propel two astronauts to the Moon and back by 2019 - 50 years after the first human lunar landing.

SETI Has Already Tried Listening to TRAPPIST-1 for Aliens

By Matthew Williams - February 25, 2017 03:33 PM UTC | Astrobiology

Ever since the presence of exoplanets was announced in the TRAPPIST-1 system, SETI has been monitoring the system for signs of alien life.

The Cepheus Constellation

By tammy-plotner - February 24, 2017 03:30 PM UTC | Stars

Located in the northern hemisphere is Cepheus, one of the 48 constellations included by Ptolemy in his classic work, The Almagest.

Supernova Blast Wave Still Visible After 30 Years

By Nancy Atkinson - February 24, 2017 01:04 PM UTC | Stars

Weekly Space Hangout - February 24, 2017: 7 New Exoplanets Around TRAPPIST-1 and More!

By Fraser Cain - February 24, 2017 01:00 PM UTC | Exoplanets

Wow, Mars Sure Can Be Pretty

By Evan Gough - February 24, 2017 12:52 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The HiRise camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter continues to supply stunning images of the Martian surface.

It Might Be Possible to Refreeze the Icecaps to Slow Global Warming

By Matthew Williams - February 23, 2017 02:27 PM UTC | Planetary Science

According to a new study from the School of Earth and Space Exploration, it may be possible to refreeze the Arctic to help fight Climate Change.

NASA Fires a Rocket into the Northern Lights, for Science!

By Nancy Atkinson - February 23, 2017 01:09 PM UTC | Physics

Ring of Fire: Catch the Only Annular Solar Eclipse of 2017 This Sunday

By David Dickinson - February 23, 2017 10:50 AM UTC | Solar Astronomy

'Tis the season... eclipse season, that is, as an annular solar eclipse marks the end of the first cycle of two for 2017. And although the annular path for this eclipse passes some sparsely populated parts of the southern hemisphere, we just might get some amazing live views, courtesy of modern technology and some intrepid observers willing to adventure trek after the shadow of the Moon.

SpaceX Dragon Arrives at Space Station with Tons of Earth and Human Science Experiments

By ken-kremer - February 23, 2017 06:54 AM UTC | Space Exploration

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - A SpaceX Dragon supply ship jam packed with more than 2.5 tons of critical science gear, crew supplies and 40 mice successfully arrived this morning at the International Space Station (ISS) - where six humans from the US, Russia and France are living and working aboard.

Planet 9 Can't Run Forever. Two Asteroids Give Up Some Clues

By Nancy Atkinson - February 22, 2017 06:22 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Here's an Aerial View of a Massive Iceberg Shearing away from Antarctica

By Matthew Williams - February 22, 2017 05:42 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Members of the British Antarctic Survey shot a video of the wide crack in the Antarctic Larsen Ice Sheet, which could mean a collapse is coming soon!

Get Ready for the First Pictures of a Black Hole's Event Horizon

By Evan Gough - February 22, 2017 03:54 PM UTC | Black Holes

The Event Horizon Telescope should give us our first picture of a Black Hole in the beginning of 2018.

Huge News, Seven Earth-Sized Worlds Orbiting a Red Dwarf, Three in the Habitable Zone

By Matthew Williams - February 22, 2017 03:06 PM UTC | Exoplanets

In what is the biggest announcement in exoplanet-hunting history, NASA has announced the discovery of seven rocky exoplanets around a single star, three of which are potentially-habitable

Here's Something We Never Thought We'd See on a Comet: Shifting Dunes

By Nancy Atkinson - February 22, 2017 12:19 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The Orbit of Venus. How Long is a Year on Venus?

By Matthew Williams - February 22, 2017 09:00 AM UTC | Planetary Science

As the second closest planet to our Sun, Venus takes 224.65 days to complete a single orbit around our Sun, making a year on Venus 61.5% as long as a year on Earth.