Universe Today (Page 163)

Astronomers Get Ready, Another Artificial Star to Ruin Your Data is Coming. Artist is Planning to Launch a Giant, Unfolding Structure That'll be Bright in the Sky For a Few Months

By Matthew Williams - October 16, 2018 03:06 PM UTC | Observing

In collaboration with the Nevada Museum of Art and some private aerospace companies, artists Trevor Paglen plans to launch the world's first satellite that has a strictly artistic purpose.

Plans for a Modular Martian Base that Would Provide its own Radiation Shielding

By Matthew Williams - October 16, 2018 02:03 PM UTC | Space Exploration

At this year's AIAA Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition, engineer Marco Peroni presented his proposal for a modular Martian base that would provide its own radiation shielding.

The Path that MASCOT Took Across Asteroid Ryugu During its 17 Hours of Life

By Evan Gough - October 15, 2018 06:07 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The tiny robot lander MASCOT did a fine job on the surface of asteroid Ryugu, and its zigzag path allowed it to gather important data on this ancient piece of rock.

Carnival of Space #582

By susie - October 15, 2018 03:02 PM UTC | Site News

Even Ganymede is Showing Tectonic Activity. We're Going to Need Another Icy Moon Orbiter

By Evan Gough - October 15, 2018 01:35 PM UTC | Planetary Science

A new study shows that the surface of Ganymede was once a very tectonically active place, with evidence of slip-faulting similar to the San Andreas Fault.

The Milky Way Could Be Spreading Life From Star to Star

By Matthew Williams - October 12, 2018 10:19 PM UTC | Astrobiology

A new study from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics addresses the possibility of panspermia on a galactic (and intergalactic) scale

Next Generation Telescopes Could Use "Teleportation" to Take Better Images

By Matthew Williams - October 12, 2018 02:24 PM UTC | Telescopes

According to a new study by an international team of scientists, quantum mechanics may allow for some truly-cutting edge astronomy in the near future.

What Neil Armstrong's Sons Really Think About the Movie "First Man"

By Nancy Atkinson - October 11, 2018 05:25 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Soyuz Launch Carrying Two Astronauts is Forced to Abort, Landing Safely Back on Earth

By Evan Gough - October 11, 2018 03:13 PM UTC | Space Exploration

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two crew members to the ISS has experienced a booster failure. The craft executed an emergency landing and both crew are safe.

Ceres Rolled Over at Some Point in the Past

By Matthew Williams - October 11, 2018 02:19 PM UTC | Planetary Science

According to a new study from the Planetary Science Institute, Ceres poles reoriented sometime in the past, which bolsters the case for it having an interior ocean.

Weekly Space Hangout: Oct 10, 2018 - Sean Carroll

By Fraser Cain - October 10, 2018 08:20 PM UTC | Site News

348 Years Ago, a French Astronomer Monk Might have Witnessed the Collision Between a White and Brown Dwarf Star

By Evan Gough - October 10, 2018 06:11 PM UTC | Stars

A collision between a white dwarf and a brown dwarf created the object we call CK Vulpeculae. It was first observed 348 years ago by French Monk Astronomer Per Dom Anthelme.

Astronomy Cast Ep. 501: Water Worlds Revisited

By susie - October 10, 2018 04:31 PM UTC | Exoplanets

Europa is Going to be Tough to Land on, it Could Have Towering Walls of Ice Spikes Across its Surface

By Matthew Williams - October 10, 2018 03:32 PM UTC | Planetary Science

According to a new NASA-backed study, Europa's surface may be covered in towering icy spikes, which could make a landed mission there difficult.

Carnival of Space #581

By susie - October 08, 2018 03:17 PM UTC | Site News

New Image Shows the Rugged Landscape of Comet 67P

By Matthew Williams - October 07, 2018 07:10 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Thanks to an amateur astronomer, the latest image to come from the Rosetta mission provides of glimpse of the surface of Comet 67P and reminds us of the mission's accomplishments.

Microsoft and Partners Hope to Create a Time Capsule... On the Moon!

By Matthew Williams - October 06, 2018 06:57 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Microsoft has teamed up with researchers to create a time capsule using synthetic DNA, which will be sent to the Moon in 2020.

Now You Can Buy Fake Mars Dirt for $20/Kilogram. Obviously You'll Want to Know if Potatoes Can Grow in it

By Matthew Williams - October 05, 2018 04:46 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Researchers from UCF have developed a standarized, scientific way to create Martian soil simulant, which could accelerate efforts to colonize the Red Planet!

A German-French Hopping Robot Just Landed on the Surface of Asteroid Ryugu

By Evan Gough - October 05, 2018 03:03 PM UTC | Missions

The tiny hopping robot explorer called method has completed its 16 hour mission to asteroid Ryugu.

First Exomoon Found! A Neptune-Sized Moon Orbiting a Jupiter-Sized Planet

By Evan Gough - October 05, 2018 12:46 PM UTC | Exoplanets

Gaia Sees Stars Out in Deep Space, Flying Between Galaxies

By Matthew Williams - October 04, 2018 06:04 PM UTC | Extragalactic

Based on Gaia's second data release, a team of astronomers from the Leiden Observatory have observed hyper-velocity stars that appear to be moving into our galaxy.

2018 Prospects for Obscure Comet 38P Stephan-Oterma

By David Dickinson - October 04, 2018 05:25 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Ready for one more? While all eyes are still following Comet 21/P Giacobini-Zinner as it glides through northern hemisphere skies, we'd like to turn your attention towards another icy interloper: periodic Comet 38P Stephan-Oterma.

Lockheed Martin Unveils Their Proposal For a Lunar Lander

By Matthew Williams - October 03, 2018 10:04 PM UTC | Space Exploration

New Dwarf Planet Found in the Outskirts of the Solar System, Giving Astronomers More Ammunition to Search for Evidence of Planet 9

By Evan Gough - October 03, 2018 06:33 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Dark Matter Isn't Made From Black Holes

By Matthew Williams - October 03, 2018 05:48 PM UTC | Black Holes

A new study by a team of UC Berkeley researchers has shown that black holes are not the long-sought-after source of dark matter

Good night Kepler. NASA's Planet Hunter is Almost out of Fuel, and has Gone Into Sleep Mode

By Evan Gough - October 03, 2018 04:24 PM UTC | Exoplanets

Japanese Rovers are Now on the Surface of an Asteroid, Sending Back Amazing Pictures

By Matthew Williams - October 03, 2018 01:31 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 recently deployed its rovers to the surface of the asteroid Ryugu, which then sent back some stunning images!

Weekly Space Hangout: Oct 3, 2018 - Dr. David Warmflash

By Fraser Cain - October 03, 2018 01:29 PM UTC | Astrobiology

A Tiny Motor on Curiosity was one of the First Instruments to Notice the Global Martian Dust Storm

By Evan Gough - October 02, 2018 06:24 PM UTC | Planetary Science

A tiny actuator on a sample arm on the Curiosity rover gave the first indication that a storm on the red planet was a global Martian dust storm.

A New Solution to the Space Junk Problem. Spacecraft with Plasma Beams to Force Space Junk to Burn Up

By Evan Gough - October 02, 2018 02:27 PM UTC | Space Exploration

A Japanese-Australian team is developing a new way to remove space junk from orbit and sending it harmlessly towards Earth.

NASA Tests a Tiny Satellite to Track Extreme Weather and Storms

By Matthew Williams - October 02, 2018 01:44 PM UTC | Missions

NASA recently deployed a technology demonstrator called the RainCube, a miniature satellite that could revolutionize how we monitor weather

The "Death Comet" Will Pass By Earth Just After Halloween

By Matthew Williams - October 01, 2018 02:08 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The mysterious "Death Comet" which flew past Earth in 2015 is coming around again, and will once again pass Earth safely on November 11th.

NASA Report Outlines How it Will Go Back to the Moon, to Mars, and Beyond in a Sustainable Way

By Matthew Williams - September 29, 2018 02:01 AM UTC | Space Policy

NASA recently released its National Space Exploration Campaign Report, detailing a sustainable plan to return to the Moon and go to Mars

Technosignatures are NASA's New Target for Detecting Other Civilizations in Space. Wait. What's a Technosignature?

By Evan Gough - September 28, 2018 06:30 PM UTC | Astrobiology

A NASA workshop on Technosignatures paves the way for a new approach to the search for intelligent life.

JunoCam Wows Us Again With Detailed Images of the Great Red Spot

By Evan Gough - September 27, 2018 05:00 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Dazzling images from the JunoCam show the intricate detail of Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Is the Solar System's longest-lived storm shrinking?

Titan First-Ever Detected Dust Storms Prove the Moon is More Earth-like than Ever

By Matthew Williams - September 27, 2018 04:18 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Based on Cassini data, an international team of scientists found evidence of dust storms on Titan, yet another thing it has in common with Earth.

Carnival of Space #580

By susie - September 27, 2018 03:44 PM UTC | Site News

NASA Spots Opportunity as the Dust Storm Clears. Still No Word From Her Though

By Matthew Williams - September 26, 2018 11:15 PM UTC | Planetary Science

With the recent Martian dust storm clearing, NASA managed to spot the Opportunity rover on the surface, though communications have yet to resume.

Optical Rocket Boosts Electrons to Nearly the Speed of Light

By Matthew Williams - September 26, 2018 02:13 PM UTC | Physics

In a new experiment, a team of researchers used laser pulses to accelerate photons to near the speed of light, which could have immense applications for space flight and particle physics.

Musk Gives an Update on When a Mars Colony Could be Built

By Matthew Williams - September 25, 2018 11:47 PM UTC | Space Exploration

In a recent tweet, SpaceX founder Elon Musk indicated that his company may be able to build a Martian colony as early as 2028.

Matter is Going Into this Black Hole at 30% the Speed of Light

By Evan Gough - September 25, 2018 03:40 PM UTC | Black Holes

A team of researchers in the UK have observed matter falling into a black hole at 30% the speed of light. They may have discovered why black holes in the early universe grew so quickly.