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A Trio of Plumes in the South Sandwich Islands

On September 29, 2016, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this false-color image (MODIS bands 7-2-1) showing volcanic activity in the South Sandwich Islands. Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, the uninhabited South Sandwich Islands include several active stratovolcanoes. To source

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How Was Mercury Formed?

Although planets surround stars in the galaxy, how they form remains a subject of debate. Despite the wealth of worlds in our own solar system, scientists still aren’t certain how planets are built. Currently, two theories are duking it out for the role of champion.  The first and most widely accepted theory, core accretion, works […]

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Rosetta comes home

Space science image of the week: Rosetta’s impact point is named Sais after the original Egyptian home of the Rosetta Stone To source

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Record-Breaking 2-Star System Spotted in Nearby Galaxy

For the first time ever, scientists have seen a double-star system in another galaxy emitting gamma-rays, the most energetic form of light. The discovery was made by NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Among all of these so-called gamma-ray binaries ever found, the new binary is the most luminous ever spotted , NASA officials said. “Gamma-ray […]

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NASA Rocket Brings Home Cosmic X-Ray Answers — and a New Mystery

NASA’s DXL sounding rocket ventured through the sun’s helium-focusing cone to investigate the origin of X-rays in space. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Lisa Poje A NASA sounding rocket zoomed above Earth’s atmosphere, confirming one interstellar source for X-rays and one more local one — and discovering others whose origin remains a mystery. NASA’s rocket, […]

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'UFO' Seen in Live Space Station Video Is Just Fluff

On the internet, UFO sightings are a dime a dozen. Shaky hand-held videos of “lights in the sky,” armchair conspiracy theorists seeing odd shapes in archived Apollo photos, horribly pixelated Youtube videos edited from zoomed in portions of other Youtube videos… all are fair game. But with much sadness, the vast majority can be quickly […]

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'Spaceman' Speaks! Astronaut Mike Massimino Takes Questions Live Tuesday

Mike Massimino and fellow NASA astronaut Jim Newman worked to replace a reaction wheel assembly on the Hubble Space Telescope in March of 2002. “Spaceman” (Crown Archetype, 2016) by Mike Massimino Credit: Crown Archetype Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, known for flying on two space shuttle missions to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, will appear […]

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Rosetta's Final Snapshots of Comet 67P Assembled | Video

By Steve Spaleta | October 2, 2016 08:39pm ET The Rosetta mission came to a close on Sept. 30, 2016 and the European Space Agency probe was sending imagery back to Earth of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko until its final moments. Twelve of those images are compiled here. credit : Space.com / imagery: ESA / Edited by […]

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Life in Space, 'Star Trek' Tech & the Future of Space Exploration

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren takes a moment to shake hands with young fans. What’s the secret to becoming a successful scientist? Owning your curiosity. That’s what Michelle Thaller, NASA’s deputy director of science communications, told a roomful of people at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum earlier this month.  She, NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, […]

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What It's Like to Work in Space, Using Bulky EVA Gloves

Space.com’s Samantha Mathewson experienced how difficult it is for astronauts to work in the vacuum of space, using an EVA glove simulator from NASA’s Langley Research Center. Tightening a lug nut on the tire of your car in the driveway seems like an easy enough task, but imagine trying to do it while wearing incredibly […]

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