NASA’s Juno spacecraft will celebrate July 4 with a series of super-close Jupiter flybys
On Independence Day, while you’re grilling burgers and guzzling beer, Juno spacecraft will fire its main engine for half an hour and dip into Jovian orbit.
Before Juno’s upcoming historic entry into Jupiter’s orbit, watch how it all began
Destination: Jupiter promises to shed light on the science and technology behind NASA’s ambitious mission a few days before Juno enters Jupiter’s orbit.
NASA explains why Jupiter-bound mission is important
In just four days, Juno will come in contact with one of the most treacherous forces in our solar system – Jupiter’s legendary magnetic field.
NASA awards $5.1 million contract to recycle pee
NASA just awarded a company a $5.1 million contract to develop and deliver a water-recovery system to filter sweat and urine into potable water.
Hubble images are first glimpse of Jupiter’s current massive aurora
This week NASA/ESA Hubble Telescope astronomers have released an image of a gorgeous aurora twirling above Jupiter’s pole.
NASA gives New Horizons approval to explore deeper into space
On its journey, the probe will swoop by some two dozen Kuiper-Belt objects to examine details about the formation of the early solar syystem.
Here come the suns: Strange planet discovered with three suns
About 340 light years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus, a 16 million year-old jovian world is in a cosmic dance with three suns.
Cornell University research finds life could exist on Saturn’s moon Titan
With an average temperature of -290 F, Titan has plenty of water ice but hardly any water vapor, due to water’s very low vapor pressure. That means any life that might exist would have to be non-water based — that is, is unlike any life on Earth.
Kepler finds 104 exoplanets in the largest single haul of confirmed planets
A total of 104 planets out of 197 original candidates have been confirmed, with four of those offering promise as potentially rocky, habitable worlds.
Astronomers confirm a huge, X-shaped bulge at the center of the Milky Way
The structure has been theorized for years but it’s finally been observed by astronomers, thanks to their keen eyes, tenacity, and activity on social media.
Amateur team’s Nexø I rocket shows that space exploration is risky business
Copenhagen Suborbitals's Nexø I rocket looked bound for orbit for the first minute after it launched from the Sputnik floating platform.
Watch a nanoscale rocket engine thruster ‘take off’ under a microscope
In the next few years, estimates the number of orbiting nanosatellites — which range from just 2.2 pounds to 22 pounds — at around 1,000.
One giant leap for robots: NASA opens Space Robotics Challenge registration
The first astronaut to step foot on Mars may be greeted by a robot. At least that’s NASA’s plan with its Space Robotics Challenge.
Houston, we have a problem: Ambitious space mission faces major danger
Although it’s backed by some of the smartest minds on the planet, a recent study found that Breakthrough Starshot faces some major dangers in outer space.
Astronomers want to create an artificial solar eclipse to study the sun
Astronomers at the ESA want to induce an eclipse, using tandem satellites to block out the sun and study its elusive outer atmosphere for hours on end.
A landslide may have caused this brilliant comet outburst captured by Rosetta
Astronomers behind the Rosetta mission have captured images of a brilliant comet outburst that they think may the aftermath of a landslide.
How bacteria, rust dust, and a murdered star may explain Earth’s Ice Age
After years of meticulous research and the help of fellow astrophysicists, an astrophysicist confirms he's found traces of a supernova underwater.
What’s it like to live on Mars? Six scientists emerge from a yearlong Mars simulation
Six scientists emerged from a dome on a Mauna Loa mountain without wearing spacesuits yesterday, ending a yearlong Mars simulation.
Spitzer telescope lasted longer than expected, but its mission isn't done yet
More than a decade after its launch, the Spitzer Space Telescope still captures and transmits beautiful data about the cosmos.
Juno’s closest Jupiter flyby captured highest resolution images of the planet
The flyby was the closest a spacecraft has ever been to Jupiter and marked the first time Juno had each of its instruments directed at the planet.
Astronauts can now sequence viruses, fungi, and — potentially — alien DNA in space
Over the weekend, astronaut Kate Rubins successfully sequenced samples of DNA, establishing the a small sequencer as a valuable new tool for science in space.
Juno images reveal that Jupiter’s poles are unlike anything NASA imagined
Dipping 2,500 miles above Jupiter’s clouds, the Juno spacecraft snapped the first images of the gas giant's north pole during a fly-by on August 27.
Astronomers spot asteroid just two days before it comes within 25K miles of Earth
If it weren’t for careful inspection from a team of astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey, we may not have even noticed the asteroid, 2016 RB1.
What do 2 million stars look like? Europe’s space agency just gave us a map
The release is the first batch of more than one billion stars that the agency hopes to catalog using its Gaia satellite in the coming year.
Rosetta's final images before crash-landing detail the stunning Comet 67P
Yesterday, the Rosetta probe began a 13-hour free fall that ended in a (relatively) gentle crash at the Ma’at landing site at 6:39 a.m. ET on Friday.
Asgardia invites you to become a citizen of space and a cosmic defender
The next new member of the United Nations might one day be the first line of defense against threats like asteroids and coronal mass ejections from the sun.
Earth’s most powerful alien-hunting telescope turns its gaze to mysterious star
A team of University of California, Berkeley astronomers have turned their attention to Tabby's star, looking for signs of alien life.
Return to Sender: Competition offers chance to 3D print on the International Space Station
Engineers may gain access to the ISS 3D printer through a new competition to create new designs for objects that can be printed in microgravity.
Japanese rocket launches manga drawings and weather satellite into orbit
The manga-decorated Himawari 9 satellite is the second of two third-generation weather satellites sent into orbit by JAXA.
Outback telescope captures stunning image of the Milky Way and beyond
A team of astronomers have given us a new glimpse of the night sky through the Murchison Widefield Array in the West Australian outback.
Top European scientists want to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid — again
A team of international scientists want to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid.
Mercury’s newly discovered ‘great valley’ makes the Grand Canyon look small
At about 250 miles wide and 600 miles long, Mercury’s “great valley” would stretch between New York City, Washington D.C. and Detroit.
Astronomers: Two stars will collide in 2022 — and the explosion will be spectacular
Two stars may collide around 2022 and their light will increase 10,000 times to become one of the brightest objects in the night sky.
Help find alien worlds: Astronomers release huge dataset of nearby stars
A team of astronomers led by the Carnegie Institution for Science has publicly released an immense catalog of observations on nearby stars.