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Map of universe questioned; dwarf galaxies don't fit standard model
Dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxies defy the accepted model of galaxy formation, and recent attempts to wedge them into the model are flawed, reports an international team of astrophysicists. A new study pokes holes in the current understanding of galaxy formation and questions the accepted model of the origin and evolution of the universe.
June 11, 2014 Read more
National panel urges 'putting human boots' on Mars
After 18 months of research and deliberation, the Committee on Human Spaceflight - a diverse national group of scientists and professionals convened by Congressional request - issued a 285-page report June 4 on whether Earth-bound humans should continue exploring space.
June 10, 2014 Read more
First images from exoplanet hunter SPHERE
The European SPHERE instrument has been successfully installed on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) and has achieved first light. This powerful new facility can directly image gas-giant exoplanets and dust discs orbiting nearby stars (up to 300 light years away) with unparalleled precision and contrast.
June 10, 2014 Read more
'Hello, world!' NASA beams video from space station via laser
The high-definition video via laser transmission from space to ground, stating 'Hello, World!' was the first of its kind for the Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science from the International Space Station.
June 9, 2014 Read more
55-year old dark side of the moon mystery solved
The Man in the Moon appeared when meteoroids struck the Earth-facing side of the moon creating large flat seas of basalt that we see as dark areas called maria. But no 'face' exists on farside of the moon and now, Penn State astrophysicists think they know why.
June 9, 2014 Read more
Turbulent black holes: Fasten your seatbelts - gravity is about to get bumpy
New research shows that gravitational fields around black holes might eddy and swirl.
June 5, 2014 Read more
Two planets orbit nearby ancient star
An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of two new planets orbiting a very old star that is near to our own Sun. One of these planets orbits the star at the right distance to allow liquid water to exist on its surface, a key ingredient to support life.
June 5, 2014 Read more
Moon formed after collision of planets
Scientists have resolved an isotopic difference between the Earth and the Moon. The slight variation in oxygen isotopes confirms the 'Giant impact' hypothesis of Moon formation, according to which the Moon formed from the debris of a giant collision between the Earth and another proto-Planet about 4.5 billion years ago.
June 5, 2014 Read more
NASA invites universities to submit innovative early-stage technology proposals
NASA is seeking proposals from universities to advance the agency's plans for exploration to deep space and Mars. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit the space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.
June 4, 2014 Read more
Surprisingly strong magnetic fields challenge black holes' pull
A new study of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies has found magnetic fields play an impressive role in the systems' dynamics. In fact, in dozens of black holes surveyed, the magnetic field strength matched the force produced by the black holes' powerful gravitational pull.
June 4, 2014 Read more
NASA should maintain long-term focus on Mars as 'horizon goal' for human spaceflight
Arguing for a continuation of the nation's human space exploration program, a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council concludes that the expense of human spaceflight and the dangers to the astronauts involved can be justified only by the goal of putting humans on other worlds.
June 4, 2014 Read more
Astronomers discover first Thorne-Zytkow object, a bizarre type of hybrid star
In a discovery decades in the making, scientists have detected the first of a 'theoretical' class of stars first proposed in 1975 by physicist Kip Thorne and astronomer Anna Zytkow. Thorne-Zytkow objects are hybrids of red supergiant and neutron stars that superficially resemble normal red supergiants, such as Betelguese in the constellation Orion. They differ, however, in their distinct chemical signatures that result from unique activity in their stellar interiors.
June 4, 2014 Read more
Light from huge explosion 12 billion years ago reaches Earth
Known as a gamma-ray burst, the intense light captured in the night sky resulted from one of the biggest and hottest explosions in the universe, occurring shortly after the Big Bang.
June 4, 2014 Read more
Discovering a hidden source of solar surges
Cutting-edge observations with the 1.6-meter telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory in California have taken research into the structure and activity of the Sun to new levels of understanding. The telescope at Big Bear is the most powerful ground-based instrument dedicated to studying the sun.
June 4, 2014 Read more
First light for SPHERE exoplanet imager
SPHERE - the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch instrument - has been installed on ESO's Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile.
June 4, 2014 Read more
Hubble unveils a colorful view of the universe
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have captured the most comprehensive picture ever assembled of the evolving universe - and one of the most colorful. The study is called the Ultraviolet Coverage of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field project.
June 3, 2014 Read more
Milky Way may bear 100 million life-giving planets
There are some 100 million other places in the Milky Way galaxy that could support complex life, report a group of university astronomers. They have developed a new computation method to examine data from planets orbiting other stars in the universe.
June 3, 2014 Read more
Big laser for small debris
Thanks to the CLEANSPACE project, space debris as small as 1 cm could soon be tracked down by Earth-based lasers.
June 3, 2014 Read more