Universe Today (Page 170)

Stephen Hawking has passed away at age 76

By Matthew Williams - March 14, 2018 02:45 PM UTC | Physics

Stephen Hawking passed away on Wednesday morning, March 14th, at his home in Cambridge. He leaves behind a loving family, millions of admirers, and an unparalleled scientific legacy.

7% of Scott Kelly's Genes Changed After a Year in Space

By Matthew Williams - March 13, 2018 04:26 PM UTC | Space Exploration

The NASA Twin Study, which assessed how spending a year aboard the ISS affected Scott Kelly's health (compared to his twin brother, Mark), has just been released

Hard Not to Get a Little Teary Watching this Video from SpaceX About the Falcon Heavy Launch

By Matthew Williams - March 13, 2018 03:04 PM UTC | Space Exploration

In honor of the successful launch of the Falcon Heavy, SpaceX has released an inspiring video of the event that shows the highlights of the event

James Webb is Enduring its Final Stage of Testing Before it Ships off for Kourou, French Guiana

By Matthew Williams - March 13, 2018 01:54 PM UTC | Telescopes

The James Webb Space Telescope just entered the final phase of integration and testing before being shipped off to French Guiana, where it will launch in 2019

Scientists Propose An Asteroid Nuke Mission To Save Earth From Potential Destruction

By Evan Gough - March 12, 2018 05:50 PM UTC | Planetary Science

NASA's HAMMER (Hyper-velocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) is a plan to protect us from asteroids, either with kinetic impactors, or with NUKES.

Carnival of Space #552

By susie - March 12, 2018 04:00 PM UTC | Site News

Messier 67 - the King Cobra Open Star Cluster

By tammy-plotner - March 12, 2018 03:00 PM UTC | Stars

Located between 2610 and 2930 light years from Earth is the King Cobra Cluster (aka. Messier 67), one of the oldest open star clusters

Could There be Alien Life Right Beneath the Surface of Icy Worlds Like Enceladus and Europa?

By Matthew Williams - March 12, 2018 02:57 PM UTC | Astrobiology

A new study conducted with the support of the NASA Astrobiology Institute has theorized that life may exist on the undersides of Europa's icy surface.

Astronomy Cast Ep. 482: Alternative Ways to Space

By susie - March 12, 2018 02:04 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Jupiter's Atmospheric Bands Go Surprisingly Deep

By Matthew Williams - March 10, 2018 04:45 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Three new studies have been released based on Juno data that have revealed new things about Jupiter's atmospheric bands and interior.

Air-Breathing Electric Thruster Could Keep Satellites in Low Earth Orbit for Years

By Matthew Williams - March 09, 2018 04:15 PM UTC | Space Exploration

For the first time, team of ESA scientists recently developed and tested an air-breathing electric thruster, which could open the way for an entirely new class of satellite

Gaze in Wonder at Jupiter's Mysterious Geometric Polar Storms

By Evan Gough - March 09, 2018 04:02 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Each of Jupiter's poles is a beautiful, geometric arrangement of Earth-sized cyclones. In the north, 8 storms surround one central storm, while on the south, 5 storms surround one in the center.

James Webb Telescope is Probably Going to be Delayed Again, and Could Exceed a Congress Spending Cap

By Matthew Williams - March 09, 2018 12:51 PM UTC | Telescopes

According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope is likely to be delayed again, and exceed its cost cap.

Hubble Sees a Huge Dust Cloud Around a Newly Forming Star

By Evan Gough - March 09, 2018 12:43 PM UTC | Stars

The Hubble has detected a massive dust cloud 150 billion miles across around the young star HR 4796A.

A New Planetary System Has Been Found with Three Super Earths

By Matthew Williams - March 08, 2018 04:53 PM UTC | Exoplanets

A team of astronomers recently discovered a system of three exoplanets that are just 100 light years from Earth, making them ideal for future studies

Rosetta's 67P Is The Result Of A Collision Of Two Comets

By Evan Gough - March 08, 2018 02:17 PM UTC | Planetary Science

A new study from scientists with France's CNRS explains how comets like 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko acquire and retain their multi-lobed shapes.

Catch Sight of Humanity Star... While You Can

By David Dickinson - March 08, 2018 08:53 AM UTC | Stars

It's a question I've gotten lots, now that the calendar has flipped over from February to March. The satellite: When will we get our first good look at the Humanity Star reflector satellite?

Weekly Space Hangout: March 7, 2018: Yoav Landsman and SpaceIL

By Fraser Cain - March 07, 2018 04:42 PM UTC | Site News

Astronomers See A Dead Star Come Back To Life Thanks To A Donor Star

By Evan Gough - March 07, 2018 02:44 PM UTC | Stars

Two stars are caught in a unique relationship. The larger red giant star sheds material which its companion neutron star consumes, producing x-rays as a result.

Scientists Find that Earth Bacteria Could Thrive on Enceladus

By Matthew Williams - March 07, 2018 12:48 PM UTC | Astrobiology

A recent study by a team of German scientists has demonstrated that a certain strain of Earth bacteria could survive on Enceladus

Astronaut Scott Tingle Was Able To Control A Ground-Based Robot... From Space.

By Evan Gough - March 06, 2018 03:04 PM UTC | Space Exploration

The ESA is working on artificially intelligent robots that could be controlled from a distance by astronauts. The pair could work as a team to accomplish maintenance and other tasks on future planetary missions.

Carnival of Space #551

By susie - March 06, 2018 01:31 PM UTC | Site News

Engineers Develop a Whole New Way to Use Curiosity's Drill After a Recent Hardware Failure

By Matthew Williams - March 05, 2018 07:07 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Due to a mechanical failure, engineers at NASA JPL have developed a new method for the Curiosity drill, which was just tested successfully

Astronomy Cast Ep. 481: Rockets pt. 3 - Going Faster, Higher, Farther after Fairing Separation

By susie - March 05, 2018 02:04 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Saturn Photobombs a Picture of the Martian Moon Phobos

By Matthew Williams - March 05, 2018 01:58 PM UTC | Planetary Science

While taking pictures of the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, the Mars Express probe also captures pictures of Saturn in the background

Book Review: Inventing a Space Mission

By Mark Mortimer - March 05, 2018 01:20 PM UTC | Space Exploration

The Biggest Airplane Taxis Down the Runway, By 2020 it Could Be Launching Rockets

By Matthew Williams - March 02, 2018 03:05 PM UTC | Space Exploration

In preparation for its maiden flight, StratoLaunch's Roc aircraft - the largest aircraft in the world - recently conducted its second successful taxi test

Did the Milky Way Steal These Stars or Kick Them Out of the Galaxy?

By Matthew Williams - March 01, 2018 03:50 PM UTC | Milky Way

A new study by an international team of astronomers has determined that stars in the Milky Way's halo actually formed in our galaxy and were then kicked out

Space Catapult Startup SpinLaunch has Come Out of Stealth Mode. Space catapults? Yes Please

By Matthew Williams - March 01, 2018 01:47 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Reclusive SpinLaunch founder Jonathon Yaney recently broke his silence about his vision to reduce the costs of space exploration by developing a space catapult

Bacteria Surviving On Musk's Tesla Are Either A Bio-threat Or A Backup Copy Of Life On Earth

By Evan Gough - February 28, 2018 03:16 PM UTC | Astrobiology

Is Musk's Tesla Roadster in space a biological threat to life on other worlds, a back-up for life on Earth, or a harmless bauble?

Weekly Space Hangout: Feb 28, 2018: Will Kalif's "See It With A Small Telescope"

By Fraser Cain - February 28, 2018 01:26 PM UTC | Observing

Amazing High Resolution Image of the Core of the Milky Way, a Region with Surprisingly Low Star Formation Compared to Other Galaxies

By Matthew Williams - February 27, 2018 07:34 PM UTC | Milky Way

An international team of astronomers recently conducted a study of the Milky Way center to determine why it has a comparatively low rate of star formation.

Proxima Centauri Just Released a Deadly Flare, so it's Probably not a Great Place for Habitable Planets

By Matthew Williams - February 27, 2018 03:30 PM UTC | Exoplanets

A new study recorded a massive flare coming from Proxima Centauri, a finding which casts doubt on it having any habitable planets.

Carnival of Space #550

By susie - February 27, 2018 02:50 PM UTC | Site News

Precise New Measurements From Hubble Confirm the Accelerating Expansion of the Universe. Still no Idea Why it's Happening

By Matthew Williams - February 27, 2018 01:57 PM UTC | Cosmology

A new survey performed by the SHoES team using Hubble has confirmed that the Universe is in an accelerated rate of expansion.

22 Years Of The Sun From Soho

By Evan Gough - February 26, 2018 05:29 PM UTC | Solar Astronomy

SOHO is celebrating a huge milestone, and one it was never intended to meet: it has now observed one complete, 22-year cycle in the life of the Sun.

Astronomy Cast Ep. 480: Rockets pt. 2 - Multi-stage Boosters

By susie - February 26, 2018 02:26 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Venus Returns to the Dusk Sky

By David Dickinson - February 26, 2018 12:01 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Where have all the planets gone? The end of February 2018 sees the three naked eye outer planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn-- hiding in the dawn. It takes an extra effort to brave the chill of a February morning, for sure. The good news is, the two inner planets – Mercury and Venus – begin favorable dusk apparitions this week, putting on a fine sunset showing in March.

Special Skinsuits Could Help Astronauts Avoid Back Pain When Their Spines Expand In Space

By Evan Gough - February 23, 2018 04:17 PM UTC | Space Exploration

The microgravity in space makes astronauts' spines to elongate, causing back pain. A new SkinSuit being developed by the European Space Agency gives astronauts some relief.

This was Exactly Where Cassini Crashed into Saturn

By Matthew Williams - February 23, 2018 03:34 PM UTC | Planetary Science

NASA has released a mosaic image that shows exactly where the Cassini probe would crash into Saturn's atmosphere, mere hours before it did!

Wow, Indonesia's Mount Sinabung is Making a Mess. Here's the View From Space!

By Matthew Williams - February 23, 2018 02:26 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The Eruption of Mount Sinabung on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, was recently photographed from space by satellites belonging to NASA's Earth Observatory

Spacecraft Shields Will Need to be Tough. Here's an Aluminum Bullet Shattering a Shield at 7 km/s

By Matthew Williams - February 23, 2018 12:53 PM UTC | Space Exploration

A team of ESA researchers recently tested a new type of shielding by firing an aluminum bullet at it and filming the results.

Maybe There's no Connection Between Supermassive Black Holes and Their Host Galaxies?

By Matthew Williams - February 22, 2018 06:56 PM UTC | Black Holes

A recent study by an international team of scientists has indicated that there may be no connection between SMBHs and star formation in a galaxy.

SpaceX Launches the First of Thousands of Space Internet Satellites, but Didn't Quite Catch the Fairing

By Matthew Williams - February 22, 2018 01:47 PM UTC | Space Exploration

After a few delays, SpaceX launched the first of its planned constellation of internet satellites, but failed to recover the fairings from the rocket.

Here's How SpaceX is Planning to Recover Rocket Fairings: a Boat With a Net Called Mr. Steven

By Matthew Williams - February 21, 2018 09:34 PM UTC | Space Exploration

In their latest attempt to reduce the costs of individual launches, SpaceX is looking to make their rockets payload fairings reusable.

Astronomers Find The Most Distant Supernova Ever: 10.5 Billion Light-Years Away

By Evan Gough - February 21, 2018 06:39 PM UTC | Extragalactic

Astronomers with the Dark Energy Survey have discovered the most distant and ancient supernova yet: a rare Super Luminous Supernova about 10.5 billion light years away.

Weekly Space Hangout: Feb 21, 2018: Dr. Jessie Christiansen and "Exoplanet Explorers"

By Fraser Cain - February 21, 2018 06:10 PM UTC | Exoplanets

Some of The Last Glaciers in The Tropics. They'll be Gone in About a Decade

By Matthew Williams - February 21, 2018 02:50 PM UTC | Planetary Science

Images released by NASA's Earth Observatory show how ice loss in the tropics is advancing, and how glaciers there will be gone within a decade.

OSIRIS-REx Sends Home an Image of the Earth and Moon

By Matthew Williams - February 21, 2018 01:17 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The OSIRIS-REx mission once again provided a beautiful composite image of the Earth-Moon system, showing just how far it has ventured from Earth.

How Badly Will Humanity Freak Out if We Discover Alien Life?

By Evan Gough - February 21, 2018 12:57 PM UTC | Astrobiology

Scientists at Arizona State University wanted to find out what peoples' reactions would be to the announcement of the discovery of alien life. The result? We're mostly looking forward to it.