Hubble finds new Neptune moon
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a new moon orbiting the distant blue-green planet Neptune. This brings the number of known satellites circling the giant planet to 14.
Jul 15th, 2013
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Study shows disks don't need planets to make patterns (w/video)
A new study by NASA scientists sounds a cautionary note in interpreting rings and spiral arms as signposts for new planets. Thanks to interactions between gas and dust, a debris disk may, under the right conditions, produce narrow rings on its own, no planets needed.
Jul 14th, 2013
Read moreSolar tsunami used to measure Sun's magnetic field
A solar tsunami observed by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Japanese Hinode spacecraft has been used to provide the first accurate estimates of the Sun's magnetic field.
Jul 11th, 2013
Read moreHubble finds a true blue planet
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have deduced the actual visible-light color of a planet orbiting another star 63 light-years away.
Jul 11th, 2013
Read moreIBEX spacecraft images the heliotail, revealing an unexpected structure
NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft recently provided the first complete pictures of the solar system's downwind region, revealing a unique and unexpected structure.
Jul 10th, 2013
Read moreAstronomers witness birth of Milky Way's most massive star
Scientists have observed in unprecedented detail the birth of a massive star within a dark cloud core about 10,000 light years from Earth.
Jul 10th, 2013
Read moreSun's loops are displaying an optical illusion
To understand how the corona is heated, some astronomers study coronal loops. These structures are shaped like an upside-down U and show where magnetic field lines are funneling solar gases or plasma. Our best photos of the sun suggest that these loops are a constant width, like strands of rope. However, new work shows that this is an optical illusion; the loops are actually tapered, wider at the top and narrower at the ends. This finding has important implications for coronal heating.
Jul 9th, 2013
Read moreSpace-time is not the same for everyone
Before the Big Bang, space-time as we know it did not exist. So how was it born? The process of creating normal space-time from an earlier state dominated by quantum gravity has been studied for years by theorists at the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw. Recent analyses suggest a surprising conclusion: not all elementary particles are subject to the same space-time.
Jul 9th, 2013
Read moreEuropean Space Agency approves new rocket Ariane 6
The European Space Agency has approved the final design for a next-generation rocket, Ariane 6, aimed at maintaining Europe's grip on the fast-changing market for satellite launches.
Jul 9th, 2013
Read moreConstruction for ESA's Euclid mission kicks off
The construction of ESA's Euclid space mission to explore the 'dark Universe' will be led by Italy's Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor, beginning the full industrial phase of the project.
Jul 9th, 2013
Read moreDetecting DNA in space
Researchers, in a step toward analyzing Mars for signs of life, find that gene-sequencing chip can survive space radiation.
Jul 9th, 2013
Read moreCosmochemist discovers potential solution to meteorite mystery
Chondrules may have formed from high-pressure collisions in early solar system.
Jul 8th, 2013
Read moreCosmic dust belts without dust
Six newly discovered debris disks not only are extremely cold, they also are lacking the characteristic dust which is always released when the rocks collide.
Jul 8th, 2013
Read moreUK launches Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence Research Network
A network has been launched to promote academic research in the UK relating to the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The UK SETI Research Network (UKSRN) brings together academics from 11 institutions across the country.
Jul 5th, 2013
Read moreHubble Telescope reveals variation between hot extrasolar planet atmospheres
First results from the analysis of eight 'hot Jupiter' exoplanets suggest that winds and clouds play an important role in the atmospheric make up of these exotic planets.
Jul 5th, 2013
Read moreFeeding galaxy caught in distant searchlight by international research team
An international group of astronomers has spotted a distant galaxy hungrily snacking on nearby gas. The gas is seen to fall inward toward the galaxy, creating a flow that both fuels star formation and drives the galaxy's rotation. This is the best direct observational evidence so far supporting the theory that galaxies pull in and devour nearby material in order to grow and form stars.
Jul 5th, 2013
Read moreFlashes in the sky
Cosmic radio bursts point to cataclysmic origins in the distant universe.
Jul 4th, 2013
Read moreAt the foot of the Red Planet's giant volcano
Hundreds of individual lava flows are seen frozen in time on the flanks of Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System. Images taken by ESA's Mars Express focus on the southeast segment of the giant volcano, which towers some 22 km above the surrounding plains.
Jul 4th, 2013
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