Universe Today
Going Viral: Why Alien Signals Get Everyone Excited
SES Boldly Goes Where No Firm Has Gone Before, Inks Deal to Fly on 1st SpaceX 'Flight-Proven' Booster
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL — The telecommunications giant SES is boldly going where no company has gone before by making history in inking a deal today, Aug. 30, to fly the expensive SES-10 commercial satellite on the first ever launch of a 'Flight-Proven' SpaceX booster - that's been used and recovered.
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6 Million Years Ago The Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole Raged
Astrophysicists looking for the Milky Way's missing matter have found that our black hole was very active only 6 million years ago.
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Planet 9 Search Turning Up Wealth Of New Objects
Dark Matter: Hot Or Not?
Relying on Hubble data, a new study has suggested that (contrary to hot and cold models) dark matter may actually be "warm" in nature
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Our Guide to This Week's 'Ring of Fire' Annular Eclipse
In Africa this week? The final solar eclipse of 2016 graces the continent this week. This eclipse is annular only, as the Moon fails to fully cover the disk of the Sun.
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NASA's OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sampling Probe Assembled at Florida Launch Base for Sep. 8 Blastoff -- Cleanroom Photos
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - OSIRIS-Rex, the first American sponsored probe aimed at retrieving "pristine materials" from the surface of an asteroid and returning them to Earth has been fully assembled at its Florida launch base and is ready to blastoff ten days from today on Sep. 8. It's a groundbreaking mission that could inform us about astrobiology and the 'Origin of Life.'
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Who Else Is Looking For Cool Worlds Around Proxima Centauri?
Outside of the ESO, there are others who have been hunting for exoplanets around Proxima Centauri - including Dr. Kipping of the Cool Worlds lab
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Aliens? "Strong" Signal Detected From Sun-Like Star Being Verified By SETI
We're not saying its aliens, but this could be the most enticing signal from space since the famous "Wow! Signal" in 1977.
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I Actually Learned to Photograph the Milky Way
I've always struggled to take a good picture of the Milky Way, even though I've got pretty good camera gear. My friends Cory and Tanja Schmitz from Photographing Space give me tips and advice to taking a better Milky Way photo, and then show me what to do in Photoshop to make it even better.
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Northern Lights by Drone? You Won't Believe Your Eyes
NASA Goes With Atlas V To Launch Mars 2020 Rover
NASA has taken a major step towards the launch of its Mars 2020 rover, which included awarding a launch services contract to United Launch Alliance.
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JUNO Transmits First Up-Close Look Soarin' over Jupiter
NASA's JUNO spacecraft successfully swooped over the Jovian cloud tops today, Saturday, Aug. 27, gathering its first up close images and science observations of the 'King of the Planets' since braking into orbit on America's Independence Day.
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SpaceX Dragon Splashes Down with NASA's Station Science Cargo
A SpaceX commercial Dragon cargo ship returned to Earth today, Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, by splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean - thus concluding more than a month long stay at the International Space Station (ISS). The vessel was jam packed with some 1.5 tons of NASA cargo and critical science samples for eagerly waiting researchers.
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What Are The Lagrange Points?
There are places in the Solar System where the forces of gravity balance out perfectly. Places we can use to position satellites, space telescopes and even colonies to establish our exploration of the Solar System. These are the Lagrange Points.
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A New NASA Cumulative Time in Space Record
Upon his return to Earth, astronaut Jeff Williams will have established a new record for most time spent in space, at 534 days
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What Can We Expect From Juno's Return To Jupiter?
On Saturday, August 27th, NASA's Juno mission will once again make history as it conducts the closest flyby of Jupiter to date
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Citizen Scientists Help Crack 300 Year Old Mystery Of Eclipse Wind
An effectbased on the observations of over 4,500 citizen scientists in the UK during the partial eclipse on March 20, 2015, this effect is not just a figment of anyone's imagination; it is a real phenomenon.
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What Does "Earthlike" Even Mean & Should It Apply To Proxima Centauri b?
With so many exoplanet discoveries around distant (and neighboring) stars, it might be time to assess what terms like "Earth-like" really mean.
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Shields Up, Mr. Sulu! Cruising At 20% Speed Of Light Has Some Inherent Risks
A recent study by funded by Starshot attempts to address one of the biggest challenges in interstellar travel - the risk of collisions
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Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Confirmed Around Nearest Star!
The ESO has officially confirmed the discovery of terrestrial planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, making it the closest exoplanet to our Solar System ever discovered
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Experience the Glorious Night Sky Over Yellowstone National Park
Tomorrow, August 25, 2016, the US National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary. This incredible new timelapse brings you to Yellowstone National Park, allowing you to "find your dark skies" over the many dramatic geysers and hot springs there.
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Tales of Two Asteroid Occultations: Io, Nemausa Cast Shadows Over North America
Up for a challenge? Over the next two weekends, two asteroid occultations pass over North America. These are both occulting (passing in front of) +7th magnitude stars, easy targets for even binoculars or a small telescope. These events both have a probability score of 99-100%, meaning the paths are known to a high degree of accuracy. These are also two of the more high profile asteroid occultations for 2016.
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SpaceX Just Put The Coolest Garden Gnome Ever In Its Front Yard
SpaceX has placed the first stage of the rocket that made the first-ever successful landing on display at its headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
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ESO Announcement To Address Reports Of Proxima Centauri Exoplanet
This Wednesday, the ESO will be holding a press conference, and hopes are high that it will address the possible existence of an exoplanet around Proxima Centauri
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Carnival of Space #472
Carnival of Space #471
Sea Landed SpaceX Falcon 9 Sails Back into Port Canaveral: Gallery
Some Humans Just Sacrificed Their Jobs At CERN
In what they are referring to as an "internal matter", CERN has announced that it will be investigating the video prank that took place on its Geneva campus
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A History Of Violence: Iron Found in Fossils Suggests Supernova Role In Mass Dying
In a study of deep ocean cores, scientists have uncovered the remains of magnetic fossils that point to a nearby supernova blast that may have altered Earth's climate 2.5 million years ago.
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NASA Successfully Test Fires Mars Mega Rocket Engine with Modernized 'Brain' Controller
New Visualization Of Waves In Saturn's Rings Puts You In The Keeler Gap
In his latest piece of inspired artwork, Kevin Gill treats viewers to an artistic impression of what the Keeler Gap in Saturn's Rings looks like up close
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Europa Clipper Team Braces For Bad News
Apparent uncertainty in the budget for the Europa Clipper mission could be bad news for its proponents.
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Venus-like Exoplanet 39 Light Years Distant Is Probably Baked & Sterile
A team of scientist from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics may have unlocked the secret behind the Venus-like exoplanet Gf 1132b
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Cooking Up Life in the Cosmic Kitchen
A recent discovery points to the role of stars in building more complex biological molecules instead of tearing them apart with their radiation.
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What are the Planets of the Solar System?
The eight planets of the Solar System are a diverse and interesting bunch, ranging from airless and habitable terrestrial bodies to distant gas giants that rain diamonds!
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Physicists Maybe, Just Maybe, Confirm the Possible Discovery of 5th Force of Nature
Researchers from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the University of California, Irvine, may have found evidence of a fifth fundamental force of nature
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Stairway to Heaven! - Boeing Starliner Crew Access Arm's 'Awesome' Launch Pad Installation
Beyond Neptune, A Chunk Of Ice Is Orbiting The Sun In The Wrong Direction
Beyond the orbit of Neptune, astronomers have spotted another TNO that confounds explanation, and which has been named in honor of its "rebellious" nature
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Prof. Lubin Wants to Send Our Digital Selves to the Stars
Prof. Lupin of UCSB recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to create "Voices of Humanity", a project aimed at equipping all future missions to space with a digital archive of humanity!
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One Year to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse
There's just one year left to prepare for the return of totality to the United States of August 21st, 2017!
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Did Cirrus Clouds Help Keep Early Mars Warm & Wet?
The presence of cirrus clouds in the early Martian atmosphere may have helped it stay warm enough for liquid water.
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Will Our Black Hole Eat the Milky Way?
As soon as you learn about the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, your next thought is: is that thing going to destroy our galaxy? In the short term, no, in the long term… maybe?
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Carnival of Space #470
SpaceX Nails Dazzling Midnight Launch of Japanese Comsat and Droneship Landing
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL — Shortly after midnight today, Sunday, Aug. 14, and under near pristine Florida Space Coast skies, SpaceX dazzled its commercial customers and space enthusiasts alike worldwide with the twin feats of nailing the nighttime launch of the firm's Falcon 9 carrying a huge Japanese telecommunications satellite to orbit and accomplishing the nailbiting precision touchdown of the first stage on a miniscule droneship at sea.
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Earth-Like Planet Around Proxima Centauri Discovered
According to an unnamed source, the ESO has discovered a habitable planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, making it the closest Earth-like planet discovered to date
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How Close Can Moons Orbit?
The Moon is our constant companion, shining away in the night. But how close could the Moon get before it's not a Moon any more? Before it's torn apart by the Earth's gravity and becomes a terrifying ring of orbital debris?
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Set for Post-Midnight Blastoff and Landing on Aug. 14 - Watch Live
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - Scarcely three weeks after the mesmerizing midnight launch and landing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that delivered over two tons of science and critical hardware to the space station for NASA, the innovative firm is set to repeat the back to back space feats - with a few big twists - during a post midnight launch this Sunday, Aug.14 of a Japanese telecom satellite.
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Perseid Meteor Shower Briefly Storms, Still Has Legs
Reports coming in now from the Perseid meteor shower show a big spike in activity over Europe last night as impressive -- briefly -- as the 2002 Leonids. Expect the shower to continue tonight.
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How Many Moons are in the Solar System?
Contrary to what was once believed, the Solar System is home to hundreds of moons. Beyond Earth, there are many natural satellites orbiting the gas giants, dwarf planets, and even some asteroids!
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