Universe Today
A Different Kind Of Science Show
Brian Koberlein reports on his new Kickstarter to develop a TV show called Big Science
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Sunshield Layers Installed on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope as Mirror Cryo Cooling Testing Commences
The complex multilayered sunshield that will protect the delicate optics and state of the art infrared science instruments of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is now fully installed on the spacecraft bus in California, completing another major milestone on the path to launch, NASA announced.
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New Study Claims There are Four Exoplanets Around Nearest Sun-Like Star!
A recent study by an international team of scientists has revealed four Earth-like planets around tau Ceti, a Sun-like star just that is 12 light years away!
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What are Gas Giants?
The outer planets of the Solar System - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - are gas giants, a designation which applies to planets that are primary composed of hydrogen and helium.
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New Horizons' Next Flyby Target Just Got Weirder!
In preparation for their historic flyby with a KBO, the New Horizons team conducted observations that indicated that the target may be different than previously thought
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Standford Team Creates mDOT, a Mini-Starshade for Exoplanet Research
A team from Standford University's Space Rendezvous Laboratory have created a small-scale demonstrator of Starshade technology to help in the hunt for exoplanets.
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Gorgeous Images of the August 2017 Partial Lunar Eclipse
Experiment Detects Mysterious Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering For the First Time
The COHERENT experiment, an international collaboration, made the first-ever detection of neutrinos bumping into the nucleus of other atoms
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Messier 53 - the NGC 5024 Globular Cluster
Located 58,000 light from years, in the northern constellation Coma Berenices, is the globular cluster known as Messier 53.
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Carnival of Space #521
Musk Says Maiden Falcon Heavy to Launch in November, Acknowledges High Risk and Releases New Animation
Before the year is out, the long awaited debut launch of the triple barreled Falcon Heavy rocket may at last be in sight says SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk, as he forthrightly acknowledges it comes with high risk and released a stunning launch and landing animation (see below) earlier today, Aug. 4.
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NASA Voyager Probes Still Going Strong After 40 Years
The Voyager probes, humanity's longest-running and farthest-reaching missions, are celebrating their 40th anniversaries this summer!
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Bad News For Proxima b: An Earth-Like Atmosphere Might Not Survive There
A new study led by researchers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center indicates that Proxima b would be likely to retain an Earth-like atmosphere.
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Hubble Eyes Stratosphere Around a Very Hot, Watery Jupiter!
A recent study by a team of astronomers, using data provided by Hubble, has provided the best evidence to date of a stratosphere around an exoplanet.
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Need a Job? NASA is Looking for a New Planetary Protection Officer
NASA recently announced that it is looking for a new Planetary Protection Officer, a position which is growing in importance, and pays well!
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Kepler Spots the First Exomoon Candidate 4000 Light Years From Earth
Relying on Kepler data, a recent study led by researchers from the University of Columbia has turned up the first exomoon candidate!
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A Partial Lunar Eclipse Ushers in Eclipse Season
Live on the wrong continent to witness the August 21st total solar eclipse? Well... celestial mechanics has a little consolation prize for Old World observers, with a partial lunar eclipse on the night of Monday into Tuesday, August 7/8th.
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Physicists Take Big Step Towards Quantum Computing and Encryption with new Experiment
An team of German researchers recently conducted an experiment that has once again proven that quantum entanglement is possible
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Impending Asteroid Flyby Will be a Chance to Test NASA's Planetary Defense Network!
This October, an asteroid will pass Earth by, thus giving NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) a chance to test their new detection and tracking network
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NASA Detects More Chemicals on Titan that are Essential to Life
A recent study by a team of NASA researchers had detected that a chemical thought to be essential to life on Titan exists in abundance on that moon.
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Messier 52 - the NGC 7654 Open Star Cluster
Located near the northern constellation of Cassiopeia, approximately 5000 light years from Earth, is the open star cluster known as Messier 52.
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Carnival of Space #520
Veteran Multinational Trio Launches on Soyuz and Arrives at International Space Station
An all veteran multinational trio of astronauts and cosmonauts rocketed to orbit aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule and safely arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) after a fast track rendezvous on Friday, July 28.
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Where Will the Space Launch System Take Us? Preparing For The Most Powerful Rocket Ever Built
NASA is working on the most powerful rocket ever built: the Space Launch System. What could it be used for to explore the Solar System?
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What Is the Name Of Our Galaxy?
Since ancient times, humans have looked up at the bright band in the night sky and called it the Milky Way, a name which stuck when it came time to name our galaxy.
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The Crater Constellation
Located in the southern hemisphere is the Crater constellation (aka. "the cup), one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the IAU.
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Opportunity Starts Historic Descent of Tantalizing Martian Gully to Find Out How Was It Carved
From the precipice of "Perseverance Valley" NASA's teenaged Red Planet robot Opportunity has begun the historic first ever descent of an ancient Martian gully - that's simultaneously visually and scientifically "tantalizing" - on an expedition to discern 'How was it carved?'; by water or other means, Jim Green, NASA's Planetary Sciences Chief tells Universe Today.
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Cassini Finds that Titan is Building the Chemicals that Might Have Led to Life on Earth
A new study by an international team of scientists shows how Titan's atmosphere could contain a key building block for organic molecules, which could drastic implications in the hunt for extra-terrestrial life.
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Hubble Sees Tiny Phobos Orbiting Mars
In May of 2016, when Mars was making its closest pass to Earth in over a decade, Hubble captured images that were used to make a time-lapse video of Phobos popping out from behind Mars.
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New Comet: C/2017 O1 ASAS-SN Takes Earth by Surprise
A new comet discovery crept up on us this past weekend, one that should be visible for northern hemisphere observers soon.
The discovery: We're talking about Comet C/2017 O1 ASAS-SN, a long period comet currently visiting the inner solar system.
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Breakthrough Lofts the Smallest Satellites Ever, not Interstellar Yet, but a Step Forward
Breakthrough Initiatives achieved a major milestone with the recent deployment of their Sprite satellites, the smallest satellites in history.
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Ready to Leave Low Earth Orbit? Prototype Construction Begins for a Deep Space Habitat
As part of NASA's NextSTEP-2 program, Lockheed Martin was recently awarded a Phase II contract to continue work on their Deep Space Habitat prototype.
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Dream Chaser Mini-Shuttle to Fly ISS Resupply Missions on ULA Atlas V
The first two missions of the unmanned Dream Chaser mini-shuttle carrying critical cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA will fly on the most powerful version of the Atlas V rocket and start as soon as 2020, announced Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and United Launch Alliance (ULA).
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Ancient Volcanoes on Mars Could Have Been the Place for Life
A new study by an international team of scientists has found evidence of recent volcanic activity on Mars, which could also lead to evidence of ancient life.
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Good News for Future Moon Bases. There's Water Inside the Moon
A new study by a team from Brown University has revealed evidence of widespread water on the lunar surface, which could also point towards water in the interior.
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Carnival of Space #519
What is the Weather Like on Mercury?
The weather on Mercury, such as it is, consists of extreme highs and extreme lows in temperature, owing to its orbit and distance from the Sun.
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Messier 51 - the Whirlpool Galaxy
Located between 19 and 27 million light-years away in the Canes Venatici constellation, is the famous Whirlpool Galaxy (aka. Messier 51)
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Earth-Sized Planet Takes Just Four Hours to Orbit its Star
Advanced Civilizations Could Build a Galactic Internet with Planetary Transits
In a recently published paper, Dr. Duncan Forgan proposed that alien civilizations could create a "galactic internet" by using artificial transits to communicate.
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Hey Map Collectors, Here's a New Map of Pluto!
Using data from the New Horizons spacecraft, the mission team has created some new maps of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon.
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One. More. Month: Our Guide to the Total Solar Eclipse
Get ready for the August 21st total solar eclipse, with facts, maps and more!
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Carnival of Space #518
Ancient Impacts Shaped the Structure of the Milky Way
According to a new study using data from the SDSS, ripples in the Milky Way's disk may be indications of "ancient impacts" with other galaxies.
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Strange Radio Signals Detected from a Nearby Star
A recent survey conducted by the Arecibo Observatory detected a strange radio signal coming from Ross 128, a star system just 11 light-year from Earth.
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This is the One of the Largest Structures We Know of in the Universe
Using data from the Sloan Digitial Sky Survey, an Indian team of astronomers has discovered one of the largest cosmic structures to date - the Saraswati Supercluster!
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Long After Humanity is Gone and the Sun Dies, the Water Bears Will be There
A new study from the University of Oxford has shown that long after humanity is gone, the tardigrade (aka. the "water bear") will still be living.
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Clean Room Tour with NASA's Next Gen Tracking Data Relay Satellite TDRS-M, Closeout Incident Under Review - Photos
ASTROTECH SPACE OPERATIONS/KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - The last of NASA's next generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TRDS) designed to relay critical science data and research observations gathered by the International Space Station (ISS), Hubble and dozens of Earth-orbiting Earth science missions is undergoing final prelaunch clean room preparations on the Florida Space Coast while targeting an early August launch - even as the agency reviews the scheduling impact of a weekend "closeout incident" that "damaged" a key component.
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Evidence Mounts for the Existence of Planet Nine
The latest study that looks into the possible existence of Planet 9 offers a new technique, one which is free of the "observational bias" which the others were criticized for.
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Two Years Ago Today: It Was a Clear Day on Pluto When New Horizons Flew By
