Observing galactic 'blow out'
For the first time, an international team of astronomers has revealed the dramatic 'blow out' phase of galactic evolution.
Dec 4th, 2014
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Space Exploration News – Latest Headlines
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Green Light for E-ELT Construction
At a recent meeting ESO's main governing body, the Council gave the green light for the construction of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) in two phases.
Dec 4th, 2014
Read morePulsars with black holes could hold the 'ho ly grail' of gravity
The intermittent light emitted by pulsars, the most precise timekeepers in the universe, allows scientists to verify Einstein's theory of relativity, especially when these objects are paired up with another neutron star or white dwarf that interferes with their gravity. However, this theory could be analysed much more effectively if a pulsar with a black hole were found, except in two particular cases, according to researchers.
Dec 4th, 2014
Read more'Mirage Earth' exoplanets may have burned away chances for life
Planets orbiting close to low-mass stars are prime targets in the search for extraterrestrial life. But new research indicates some such planets may have long since lost their chance at hosting life because of intense heat during their formative years.
Dec 3rd, 2014
Read moreSpace travel is a bit safer than expected
Analysis of data from the MATROSHKA experiment, the first comprehensive measurements of long-term exposure of astronauts to cosmic radiation, has now been completed. This experiment, carried out on board and outside of the International Space Station, showed that the cosmos may be less hostile to space travelers than expected.
Dec 3rd, 2014
Read moreObserving small animals from space will soon be reality
The ambitious and globally unique ICARUS project receives funding from ROSKOSMOS.
Dec 3rd, 2014
Read moreBreakthrough in astroparticle physics
Physicists have developed a novel camera technology which for the first time allows sources of cosmic gamma radiation to be observed without interruption even when the moon is shining brightly.
Dec 3rd, 2014
Read moreStrange galaxy perplexes astronomers
With the help of citizen scientists, astronomers have found an important new example of a very rare type of galaxy that may provide valuable insight on galaxy evolution in the early Universe.
Dec 2nd, 2014
Read moreTraces of Martian biological activity could be locked inside a meteorite (w/video)
Did Mars ever have life? Does it still? A meteorite from Mars has reignited the old debate. An international team has published a paper, showing that martian life is more probable than previously thought.
Dec 2nd, 2014
Read moreHerschel observes Andromeda's past and future stars
Recently, the infrared Herschel Space Observatory, has taken a series of beautiful high-resolution infrared images of Andromeda. It is the first time we can see M31, at these wavelengths, at such a high resolution.
Dec 1st, 2014
Read moreGround-based detection of super-Earth transit paves way to remote sensing of exoplanets
Astronomers have measured the passing of a super-Earth in front of a bright, nearby Sun-like star using a ground-based telescope for the first time. The transit of the exoplanet 55 Cancri e is the shallowest detected from the ground yet. Since detecting a transit is the first step in analyzing a planet's atmosphere, this success bodes well for characterizing the many small planets that upcoming space missions are expected to discover in the next few years.
Dec 1st, 2014
Read moreNASA's Van Allen Probes spot an impenetrable barrier in space
Two donuts of seething radiation that surround Earth, called the Van Allen radiation belts, have been found to contain a nearly impenetrable barrier that prevents the fastest, most energetic electrons from reaching Earth.
Nov 26th, 2014
Read moreFirst harvest of research based on the final GOCE gravity model
Just four months after the final data package from the GOCE satellite mission was delivered, researchers are laying out a rich harvest of scientific results, with the promise of more to come.
Nov 26th, 2014
Read moreExo-Earths and the search for life elsewhere: a brief history
The criteria for life on other planets is the focus of the 4th Australian Exoplanet Workshop, hosted by the University of Southern Queensland this week. The first in this series on exoplanets looks at the story so far in the search for life elsewhere in the universe.
Nov 25th, 2014
Read moreGas cloud in the galactic centre
Researchers discover that two clouds belong to the same complex.
Nov 25th, 2014
Read moreNASA opens Cube Quest Challenge for largest-ever prize of $5 million
Competitors have a shot at a share of $5 million in prize money and an opportunity to participate in space exploration and technology development, to include a chance at flying their very own CubeSat to the moon and beyond as secondary payload on the first integrated flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.
Nov 25th, 2014
Read moreIt's filamentary: How galaxies evolve in the cosmic web
How do galaxies like our Milky Way form, and just how do they evolve? Are galaxies affected by their surrounding environment? An international team of researchers proposes some answers. The researchers highlight the role of the 'cosmic web' on the evolution of galaxies that took place in the distant universe, a few billion years after the Big Bang.
Nov 21st, 2014
Read morePhilae's triple play
A short but significant 'thud' was heard by the Cometary Acoustic Surface Sounding Experiment (CASSE) as Philae made its first touchdown on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The two-second recording from space is the very first of the contact between a man-made object with a comet upon landing.
Nov 21st, 2014
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