Tracking the transition of early-universe quark soup to matter-as-we-know-it
New evidence from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider reveals different kinds of phase changes at different collision energies.
Apr 4th, 2014
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Sentinel-1A - start of a new era in Earth observation
Mapping flood events, observing oil slicks in the oceans, detecting ice distribution in the sea and measuring ground movements with millimetric precision - just some of the tasks of Sentinel-1A, the new flagship in European Earth observation.
Apr 4th, 2014
Read morePhoenix makes strides in orbital robotics and satellite architecture research (w/video)
Successful initial efforts fuel next steps toward developing technologies that would enable assembly of more flexible, scalable and cost-effective space systems on orbit.
Apr 3rd, 2014
Read moreEvidence that Saturn's moon Enceladus harbors a large underground ocean of liquid water
NASA's Cassini spacecraft and Deep Space Network have uncovered evidence Saturn's moon Enceladus harbors a large underground ocean of liquid water, furthering scientific interest in the moon as a potential home to extraterrestrial microbes.
Apr 3rd, 2014
Read moreHubble finds that monster 'El Gordo' galaxy cluster is bigger than thought
The Hubble data show that the cluster is roughly 43 percent more massive than earlier estimates based on X-ray and dynamical studies of the unusual cluster.
Apr 3rd, 2014
Read moreFermi data tantalize with new clues to dark matter
A new study of gamma-ray light from the center of our galaxy makes the strongest case to date that some of this emission may arise from dark matter, an unknown substance making up most of the material universe.
Apr 3rd, 2014
Read moreNASA challenge invites students to design exploration systems
College and university students have an opportunity to help design systems for future space habitats and exploration systems through NASA's Exploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge. Applications for the fifth annual challenge will be accepted through April 30.
Apr 3rd, 2014
Read moreResearchers find regolith of small asteroids formed by thermal fatigue
The centimeter-sized fragments and smaller particles that make up the regolith - the layer of loose, unconsolidated rock and dust - of small asteroids is formed by temperature cycling that breaks down rock in a process called thermal fatigue, according to a paper published today.
Apr 2nd, 2014
Read moreEthics guidelines for next generation of risky NASA missions
A new Institute of Medicine report says NASA should use an ethics framework to determine if extended or exploratory spaceflights that do not meet current health standards are acceptable.
Apr 2nd, 2014
Read moreThe tell-tale radiation from metallic asteroids
In the process of evaluating thousands of datasets from the NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope, planetary researchers at DLR have been tracking metallic asteroids.
Apr 2nd, 2014
Read moreGalactic serial killer
A new image from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile shows two contrasting galaxies: NGC 1316, and its smaller neighbour NGC 1317. These two are quite close to each other in space, but they have very different histories. The small spiral NGC 1317 has led an uneventful life, but NGC 1316 has engulfed several other galaxies in its violent history and shows the battle scars.
Apr 2nd, 2014
Read moreMisleading mineral may have resulted in overestimate of water in moon
The amount of water present in the moon may have been overestimated by scientists studying the mineral apatite, researchers have discovered.
Apr 1st, 2014
Read moreOsiris has its target in sight
The scientific imaging system on board ESA's spacecraft Rosetta gets its first glimpse of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Apr 1st, 2014
Read moreStudy finds astronauts' hearts become more spherical in space
New findings from a study of 12 astronauts show the heart becomes more spherical when exposed to long periods of microgravity in space, a change that could lead to cardiac problems.
Mar 31st, 2014
Read more'Cosmic barometer' could reveal violent events in universe's past
Scientists have developed a way of reading the universe's 'cosmic barometer' to learn more about ancient violent events in space.
Mar 31st, 2014
Read moreA better ruler in the search for extrasolar planets
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have rejuvenated a technique for finding planets near distant stars. New measurements of light from special lamps could help astronomers find planets hidden in data from more than a decade's worth of extrasolar planet searches, as well as improve telescopes' current capabilities.
Mar 27th, 2014
Read moreHubble sees Mars-bound comet sprout multiple jets
The feature should allow astronomers to measure the direction of the nucleus's pole, and hence, rotation axis.
Mar 27th, 2014
Read moreFirst sightings of solar flare phenomena confirm 3D models of space weather (w/video)
Scientists have for the first time witnessed the mechanism behind explosive energy releases in the Sun's atmosphere, confirming new theories about how solar flares are created. New footage put together by an international team led by University of Cambridge researchers shows how entangled magnetic field lines looping from the Sun's surface slip around each other and lead to an eruption 35 times the size of the Earth and an explosive release of magnetic energy into space.
Mar 27th, 2014
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