Comet Catalina, Quadrantid Meteors and More In Jan. 2016 Skywatching | Video
In the middle of the month, Comet Catalina will be visible in the vicinity of the Big Dipper. The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on Jan 3rd-4th. Several other skywatching targets, including the Orion constellation, are also profiled. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech To source
The Moon, Planets and Pluto to Feature on New US Postage Stamps in 2016
The U.S. Postal Service will issue stamp sets celebrating the moon and planets, as well as the New Horizons mission to Pluto in 2016.Credit: USPS (montage: collectSPACE.com) The moon, the planets and Pluto will appear on United States postage stamps in 2016, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has revealed. The USPS unveiled the designs for […]
Massive Planets May Punch Puzzling Holes in Planetary Nurseries
A high-definition view of planetary nurseries around four young stars has revealed a new solution to a puzzling mystery: why a hole appears in the middle of some of those nurseries. Young planets are believed to form from large discs of gas and dust found around stars, sort of the way a rolling snowball can […]
US Air Force Awards More Rocket Research Contracts
A 1/6 scale model of the AR1 engine currently in development by Aerojet Rocketdyne as a replacement for the Russian-built RD-180 engine that powers United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket.Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force awarded another round of research contracts Dec. 23 as part of a broader effort to end U.S. […]
Spending Bill To Accelerate NASA Habitation Module Work
Boeing is one of four companies with study contracts from NASA to study habitation module concepts. Funding provided in the 2016 omnibus spending bill, and attached report language, could accelerate that work.Credit: Boeing WASHINGTON — An omnibus spending bill passed by Congress this month directs NASA to accelerate work on a habitation module that could […]
Glittering Milky Way Peeks Through Arches in Utah National Park (Photo)
The Milky Way peeks through double arches as if behind a celestial curtain in this skywatcher image. Astrophotographer Ken Lee took the image from Arches National Park in Utah. “Feeling like an explorer on a new world in Arches National Park, Utah, watching the Milky Way drift toward the south as night progresses,” Lee wrote. […]
Talking with Pioneering Planet Hunter, 20 Years After Groundbreaking Find
An artist’s impression of the first planet orbiting a sunlike star beyond the solar system, 51 Pegasi b, a massive gas giant orbiting its planet every 4 days.Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser/Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org) It’s been 20 years since scientists first announced the discovery of a planet outside Earth’s solar system orbiting a sunlike star. Since then, […]
'Stargazer Lottie' Declared 'First Doll in Space' After Launch to Station
Arklu’s special edition “Stargazer Lottie” has been described as the “first doll in space” after launching to the space station in December 2015.Credit: Arklu Fifty years after Barbie was first dressed like an astronaut, a different plastic toy girl has claimed the title of “first doll in space.” “Stargazer Lottie,” a doll made by Irish […]
The Alps in Winter
European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and Expedition 46 Flight Engineer Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) photographed the Alps from orbit on Dec. 27, 2015 and later shared the image with his social media followers, writing, “There may not be much snow in the Alps this winter but they still look stunning from here! #Principia” To source
Dune-Roving Curiosity Studies Active Martian Sand | Video
IMAX Hubble 3D: The Director’s Take – Exclusive Video Rocket Restarts Engine In Flight, Lands Vertically Earth’s Diamond Ring ESA’s Special Delivery Constellation on Mars Constellation Lunar Mission Way Off Road: On The Moon Planning the Assault: Why Bomb the Moon? Building Japan’s First Spaceship Splashdown! Ares I-X’s Fall to Earth Return with Lunar Reconnaissance […]
January 2016 Skywatching: Orange Giant Star, Planets and More | Video
The ‘eye’ of the Taurus (the bull) constellation is K5 giant star Aldeberan and it’s 35-40 times the diameter of the Sun. Jupiter rises above the horizon late in the evening while Mars rises in the early morning. On Jan 3rd and 4th, the Quadrantid meteor shower will peak. Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute, Office […]
What are UFOs? New Study Aims to Find Out
Monitoring UAP phenomena in Hessdalen, Norway. Light distribution and radiant power. Shape changes. Translucency. Light variability and optical spectra. Wavelength.Credit: UFODATA A new science project launched in 2015 with a lofty goal: to record data on reported sightings of “Unidentified Flying Objects” (or UFOs) in the hopes of identifying what they are. The group is […]
Exoplanet Hunters Made Key Finds in 2015
When it comes to science, exoplanets are easy to love. They play roles in most science fiction books and movies and spark the imagination of nearly everyone. Beyond the realm of fiction, understanding these worlds remains a significant challenge that astronomers are working hard to overcome. As 2015 winds down , we caught up with […]