NASA Study: Universe Shines Brighter Than We Thought
Analysis of observations gathered by the first two Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER) missions shows that the universe shines much brighter that had been thought. CIBER scientists found that infrared light in what were thought to be dark areas of space between galaxies is producing a glow that gleams as brightly as all the known […]
Two Martian Probes Set to Orbit Red Planet
Two unmanned spacecraft headed to Mars, one launched by the United States and the other by India, will soon reach the Red Planet within days of each other. NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) probe, launched November 18 is set for insertion into Mars orbit (MOI) on Sunday, September 21. India’s first interplanetary spacecraft, […]
Science Scanner: Mars Rover Sets Off-Earth Distance Record; Infants Smell Mom’s Fear
Opportunity Mars Rover Sets Record Although NASA’s newest Mars rover, Curiosity, has hogged most of the attention since landing on the Red Planet nearly two years ago, Opportunity, the space agency’s Mars rover, which preceded its newer sibling by about 8 years, is the one to set a new record. Opportunity mission officials said that, […]
NASA Delves into Deep Recesses of Mars
NASA hope exploring the deep recesses of Mars will give scientists insight into the early history of Earth. The US space agency recently gave the green light for the construction of a new lander that will examine the deep interior of the red planet. Scientists hope learning more about the composition, layering and processes of […]
Giant Jovian Moon Might Have an Ocean and Ice ‘Club Sandwich’
Ganymede is Jupiter’s largest moon; in fact it’s the solar system’s biggest moon. Now members of the Icy Worlds team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) think that the giant moon, which is even larger than the planet Mercury, may have several layers of ice and liquid oceans piled atop each other, much like a […]
Coldest-Ever Brown Dwarf Star Discovered
The coldest-ever brown dwarf star has been found about 7 light-years away from Earth and could help scientist learn more about the atmospheres of planets. Brown dwarfs are objects that are too big to be planets, but too small to be considered stars. They begin their lives like stars, but since their mass is so […]
Study: Air Pollution Over Asia Found to Impact Global Weather
Researchers from Texas, California and Washington recently compared air pollution data provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the years 1850 through 2000 and found that human-made atmospheric particulates (aerosols) from Asia are having an impact on the Pacific storm track, which is a critical driver of global atmospheric circulation that influences weather […]
Astronomers May Have Spotted A Moon Orbiting an Extrasolar Planet
According to NASA, more than 1,000 extrasolar planets have been confirmed in recent years. There are also thousands more potential planets beyond our solar system that are waiting to be discovered. Now, an international group of astronomers think they may have found the first exomoon, or moon circling an exoplanet, some 1,800 light years away […]
2014’s 1st Asteroid May Have Hit Earth
As Americans were ringing in 2014 early Wednesday morning, scientists caught sight of what appeared to be a very small asteroid – between 2 and 3 meters in size – on a potential impact trajectory with Earth. The observation was made at the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona. The space rock, designated 2014 AA, […]
US, India Prep for Unmanned Missions to Mars
Both the United States and India are gearing up for unmanned missions to Mars. India will launch its first interplanetary spacecraft when the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) sends its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) to the Red Planet on Nov. 5. The spacecraft will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in Sriharikota, […]