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Planck reveals an almost perfect Universe

Planck measures the Universe - detailed all-sky map of the cosmic background radiation confirms standard cosmological model but also finds deviations

Mar 21st, 2013

Spiral beauty graced by fading supernova

About 35 million light-years from Earth, in the constellation of Eridanus (The River), lies the spiral galaxy NGC 1637. Back in 1999 the serene appearance of this galaxy was shattered by the appearance of a very bright supernova. Astronomers studying the aftermath of this explosion with ESO's Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile have provided us with a stunning view of this relatively nearby galaxy.

Mar 20th, 2013

Voyager 1 has left the solar system, sudden changes in cosmic rays indicate

Thirty-five years after its launch, Voyager 1 appears to have travelled beyond the influence of the Sun and exited the heliosphere, according to a new study appearing online today.

Mar 20th, 2013

Searching for solar systems like our own

Josh Winn's hunt for exoplanets may someday reveal habitable, Earth-like worlds.

Mar 20th, 2013

First light at SAAO for third 1-meter node of global telescope

The first truly global telescope came a significant step closer to completion this month with the installation and first light on three new 1-meter telescopes at the South Africa Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) near Sutherland, South Africa.

Mar 19th, 2013

Training sessions for the Philae comet lander

The original Philae comet lander has been travelling through space since 2 March 2004. It is currently in hibernation mode, awaiting its arrival at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. But the Philae models on the ground are being put through their paces: they are being tested to breaking point and examined by the German Aerospace Center.

Mar 18th, 2013

Famous supernova reveals clues about crucial cosmic distance markers

A new study using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory points to the origin of a famous supernova. This supernova, discovered in 1604 by Johannes Kepler, belongs to an important class of objects that are used to measure the rate of expansion of the Universe.

Mar 18th, 2013

NASA sees leaping lunar dust

Electrically charged lunar dust near shadowed craters can get lofted above the surface and jump over the shadowed region, bouncing back and forth between sunlit areas on opposite sides, according to new calculations by NASA scientists.

Mar 18th, 2013

Webb Telescope gets its wings

A massive backplane that will hold the primary mirror of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope nearly motionless while it peers into space is another step closer to completion with the recent assembly of the support structure's wings.

Mar 17th, 2013

First laser space communication system integrated, ready for launch

A new NASA-developed, laser-based space communication system will enable higher rates of satellite communications similar in capability to high-speed fiber optic networks on Earth.

Mar 15th, 2013

Building the massive simulation sets essential to Planck results

Using NERSC supercomputers, Berkeley Lab scientists generate thousands of simulations to analyze the flood of data from the Planck mission.

Mar 15th, 2013

Distant planetary system Is a super-sized solar system

A team of astronomers has made the most detailed examination yet of the atmosphere of a Jupiter-like planet beyond our Solar System.

Mar 14th, 2013

Particles and fields package integrated on upcoming Mars-bound spacecraft

The six science instruments that comprise the Particles and Fields Package that will characterize the solar wind and ionosphere of Mars have been integrated aboard NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft. The spacecraft is on track for launch later this year.