A eulogy to Herschel
With its 2160 litres of liquid helium about to run out, the Herschel Space Observatory will, by the end of March, become just another piece of space junk.
Jan 2nd, 2013
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Study shows space travel is harmful to the brain
As if space travel was not already filled with enough dangers, a new study shows that cosmic radiation - which would bombard astronauts on deep space missions to places like Mars - could accelerate the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Jan 2nd, 2013
Read moreMagnetic fields created before the first stars: Physicist calculates field strengths in the early universe
Researchers describe a new mechanism for the magnetisation of the universe even before the emergence of the first stars.
Jan 2nd, 2013
Read moreAn image gallery gift from NASA's Swift satellite
Of the three telescopes carried by NASA's Swift satellite, only one captures cosmic light at energies similar to those seen by the human eye. Although small by the standards of ground-based observatories, Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) plays a critical role in rapidly pinpointing the locations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the brightest explosions in the cosmos.
Dec 29th, 2012
Read moreNASA encourages public to explore its curiosity with new rover-themed badge on Foursquare
NASA and the mobile application Foursquare have teamed up to help the public unlock its scientific curiosity with a new rover-themed Curiosity Explorer badge.
Dec 28th, 2012
Read moreChina launches rival GPS satellite system
China has launched commercial and public services across the Asia-Pacific region on its domestic satellite navigation network built to rival the US global positioning system.
Dec 28th, 2012
Read moreNew free e-books available about two famous NASA space telescopes
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been providing astounding images of the universe since April 1990 and has led to remarkable discoveries. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is the next-generation telescope that will peer even deeper into space and unveil even more mysteries. Both of these extraordinary telescopes are now the topics of two free e-books available from the Apple iBookstore.
Dec 22nd, 2012
Read moreFrom super to ultra: Just how big can black holes get?
Some of the biggest black holes in the Universe may actually be even bigger than previously thought, according to a study using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Dec 21st, 2012
Read moreClays on Mars: More plentiful than expected
A new study indicates that clay minerals, rocks that usually form when water is present for long periods of time, cover a larger portion of Mars than previously thought.
Dec 21st, 2012
Read moreChinese space probe flies by asteroid Toutatis
China's space probe Chang'e-2 has successfully conducted a maneuver in which it flew by the asteroid Toutatis, about seven million km away from the Earth.
Dec 21st, 2012
Read moreNew meteorite suggests that asteroid surfaces more complex than previously thought
Meteorites that had fallen from an asteroid impact that lit up the skies over California and Nevada in April are showing scientists just how complex an asteroid surface can be.
Dec 20th, 2012
Read moreStars reveal the secrets of looking young
In certain circumstances, stars can be given a new burst of life, receiving extra fuel that bulks them up and substantially brightens them. This can happen if one star pulls matter off a neighbour, or if they collide.
Dec 19th, 2012
Read moreClosest Sun-like star may have planets
An international team of scientists, including Carnegie's Paul Butler, has discovered that Tau Ceti, one of the closest and most Sun-like stars, may have five planets.
Dec 19th, 2012
Read moreResearchers find a 'glitch' in pulsar 'glitch' theory
Researchers from the University of Southampton have called in to question a 40 year-old theory explaining the periodic speeding up or 'glitching' of pulsars.
Dec 18th, 2012
Read moreA swoosh in space: Merry Christmas from Hubble
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope celebrates the holiday season with a striking image of the planetary nebula NGC 5189. The intricate structure of the stellar eruption looks like a giant and brightly coloured ribbon in space.
Dec 18th, 2012
Read moreResearchers confirm 'gusty winds' in space turbulence
Study is first direct measurement of its kind in the lab.
Dec 18th, 2012
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