Space Exploration News – Latest Headlines

Study of a microquasar from our galaxy to explain the structure of distant radio galaxies

Researchers have discovered for the first time a Z-shaped structure in a microquasar, a small scale version of a radio galaxy. This discovery has interesting consequences for some of these radio galaxies that have been assumed to date as gravitational wave emitters.

December 19, 2017 Read more

A new approach for detecting planets in the Alpha Centauri system

Astronomers have taken a fresh look at the nearby Alpha Centauri star system and found new ways to narrow the search for habitable planets there.

December 19, 2017 Read more

Star mergers: A new test of gravity, dark energy theories

Observations of neutron star collision challenge some existing theories.

December 19, 2017 Read more

A better way to weigh millions of solitary stars

Astronomers have come up with a new and improved method for measuring the masses of millions of solitary stars, especially those with planetary systems.

December 14, 2017 Read more

Mars mission sheds light on habitability of distant planets

How long might a rocky, Mars-like planet be habitable if it were orbiting a red dwarf star? It's a complex question but one that NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission can help answer.

December 13, 2017 Read more

Heavy metal: How first supernovae altered early star formation

New research bridges scaling gap between astrophysics and cosmology.

December 6, 2017 Read more

First light for ESPRESSO -- the next generation planet hunter

This new, third-generation echelle spectrograph is the successor to ESO's hugely successful HARPS instrument at the La Silla Observatory.

December 6, 2017 Read more

Two Super-Earths around red dwarf K2-18

Researchers find exciting potential for little-known exoplanet - and discover another planet in the process.

December 5, 2017 Read more

Astronomer's map reveals location of mysterious fast-moving gas

Scientists have created the most detailed map ever of clouds of high-velocity gas in the Universe around us.

December 4, 2017 Read more

Neutron stars on the brink of collapse

Neutron stars are the densest objects in the Universe; however, their exact characteristics remain unknown. Using simulations based on recent observations, a team of scientists has managed to narrow down the size of these stars.

December 4, 2017 Read more

Study sheds light on turbulence in astrophysical plasmas

Theoretical analysis uncovers new mechanisms in plasma turbulence.

December 1, 2017 Read more

3D-printing a Hall-effect thruster

Using a 3D-printer for designing and building a fully functioning miniature Hall-effect thruster from scratch.

December 1, 2017 Read more

Why is massive star formation quenched in galaxy centers? (w/video)

A new study points to the role of the magnetic field as responsible for decelerating the formation of massive stars in the center of galaxies.

November 28, 2017 Read more

Hubble and Gaia team up to measure 3-D stellar motion with record-breaking precision

A team of astronomers used data from both the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and ESA's Gaia satellite to directly measure the 3D motions of individual stars in a nearby galaxy. The achieved accuracy is better than anything previously measured for a galaxy beyond the Milky Way.

November 27, 2017 Read more

You don't need to build a rocket to prove the Earth isn't flat - here's the simple science

Could 2,000 years of belief be wrong? Are we in fact living on a disc rather than a globe? One believer from the Flat Earth Society is determined to find out. 'Mad' Mike Hughes is all set to build his own rocket to see for himself that the Earth is flat.

November 27, 2017 Read more

Observations show first interstellar asteroid is like nothing seen before

For the first time ever astronomers have studied an asteroid that has entered the Solar System from interstellar space. It appears to be a dark, reddish, highly-elongated rocky or high-metal-content object.

November 20, 2017 Read more

Heavy nitrogen molecules reveal planetary-scale tug-of-war

Nature whispers its stories in a faint molecular language, and scientists can finally tell one of those stories this week, thanks to a one-of-a-kind instrument that allowed them to hear what the atmosphere is saying with rare nitrogen molecules.

November 18, 2017 Read more

Interstellar space probes: Where's the brakes?

With a miniaturised space probe capable of being accelerated to a quarter of the speed of light, we could reach Alpha Centauri, our nearest star, in 20 to 50 years. However, without a mechanism to slow it down, the space probe could only collect data from the star and its planets as it zoomed past.

November 17, 2017 Read more