Researchers discover that an exoplanet is Earth-like in mass and size
While too hot to support life, Kepler 78b is roughly the size of the Earth.
Oct 30th, 2013
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Martian box of delights (w/video)
A Mars sample-return mission is one of the most challenging space ventures possible for robotic exploration.
Oct 29th, 2013
Read moreNASA prepares to launch first mission to explore Martian atmosphere
A NASA spacecraft that will examine the upper atmosphere of Mars in unprecedented detail is undergoing final preparations for a scheduled 1:28 p.m. EST Monday, Nov. 18 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Oct 28th, 2013
Read moreComputer science helps astronomers exploring the sky
The new HITS research group 'Astroinformatics' will develop methods and software for astronomers and help facilitating the analysis and processing of the rapidly growing amount of data in astronomy.
Oct 28th, 2013
Read moreCarbon worlds may be waterless, finds NASA study
Planets rich in carbon, including so-called diamond planets, may lack oceans, according to NASA-funded theoretical research.
Read more: http://www.nanowerk.com/news2/space/newsid=32939.php#ixzz2ivkRS7Qk
Oct 27th, 2013
Read moreALMA reveals ghostly shape of 'coldest place in the universe'
At a cosmologically crisp one degree Kelvin (minus 458 degrees Fahrenheit), the Boomerang Nebula is the coldest known object in the Universe - colder than the faint afterglow of the Big Bang, which is the natural background temperature of space. Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope have taken a new look at this intriguing object to learn more about its frigid properties and to determine its true shape, which has an eerily ghost-like appearance.
Oct 24th, 2013
Read moreNASA's Great Observatories begin deepest ever probe of the universe
In an ambitious collaborative program, called The Frontier Fields, NASA's Great Observatories are teaming up to look deeper into the universe than ever before. With a boost from natural 'zoom lenses' found in space, they should be able to uncover galaxies that are as much as 100 times fainter than what the Hubble, Spitzer, and Chandra space telescopes can typically see.
Oct 24th, 2013
Read moreJust two weeks in orbit causes changes in eyes
Just 13 days in space may be enough to cause profound changes in eye structure and gene expression, report researchers. Their study is the first to examine eye-related gene expression and cell behavior after spaceflight.
Oct 24th, 2013
Read moreA rare snapshot of a planetary construction site
Planets are formed in disks of gas and dust around nascent stars. Now, observations have produced a rare view of a planetary construction site in an intermediate state of evolution: Contrary to expectations, the disk around the star HD 21997 appears to contain both primordial gas left over from the formation of the star itself and dust that appears to have been produced in collisions between planetesimals.
Oct 24th, 2013
Read moreAstronomers discover universe's most distant galaxy
Astronomers have detected the most distant spectroscopically confirmed galaxy ever found - one created within 700 million years after the Big Bang.
Oct 23rd, 2013
Read moreESA launches 3D metal printing project in space
3D printing is getting ready to revolutionise space travel. ESA is paving the way for 3D-printed metals to build high-quality, intricate shapes with massive cost savings.
Oct 23rd, 2013
Read moreShedding light on black holes at November 6 online public lecture
Perimeter Institute Associate Faculty member Avery Broderick will explore how astronomers are now imaging the horizons of black holes and attaining new insights about these enigmatic monsters in the dark.
Oct 23rd, 2013
Read moreMartian meteorite may hold secret to slowing global warming
The early Martian atmosphere lost much of its carbon dioxide through a reaction with rock - a reaction that could slow global warming on Earth.
Oct 23rd, 2013
Read moreAsteroid space cannon ready for test
Japanese scientists readying to blast a crater in an asteroid to find out what it is made of said Wednesday they have successfully tested their new space cannon.
Oct 23rd, 2013
Read moreNASA laser communication system sets record with data transmissions to and from Moon
NASA's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) has made history using a pulsed laser beam to transmit data over the 239,000 miles between the moon and Earth at a record-breaking download rate of 622 megabits per second (Mbps).
Oct 23rd, 2013
Read moreTime is ripe for fire detection satellite
Wildfire detection today is much like it was 200 years ago, relying primarily on humans to spot smoke plumes or flames. UC Berkeley experts in fires, satellites and remote sensing now say that the technology is ripe for a fire-spotting satellite that could snap images of the US West every few seconds to detect fires before they spread with few false alarms. The cost would be a fraction of the country's annual fire-fighting budget.
Oct 22nd, 2013
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