If they’re so massive that not even light can escape, how can we see them? “According to the special theory of relativity nothing can travel faster than light, so that […]
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It’s the greatest source of energy in the Universe, and yet we had no idea until less than 100 years ago. “The sun is a miasmaOf incandescent plasmaThe sun’s not […]
An Inspector General report has determined that poor leadership and a lacking organizational structure contributed to lackluster performance by NASA’s Near Earth Object Program.
A new study which explores impact craters in Argentine soil has found ancient remnants of plant life suggesting that asteroid strikes act to preserve evidence of life long after it has passed away.
How to destroy an Alderaan-sized planet. “What’s that star?It’s the Death Star.What does it do?It does Death. It does Death, buddy. Get out of my way!” –Eddie Izzard It’s one […]
Look up after sunset for the most reliable meteor shower of the year: the Perseids, and learn where they come from! Image credit: Michael Menefee (Fort Photo on flickr), via […]
From asteroids to planets to stars and more, doubling what you’ve got can be disastrous! “Art has a double face, of expression and illusion, just like science has a double […]
How afraid of them does the science say you should actually be? “Most estimates of the mortality risk posed by asteroid impacts put it at about the same risk as flying […]
And how we’re about to take the amazing scientific leap from “we think” to “we know” when it comes to its history. “Mars once was wet and fertile. It’s now […]
There’s five times as much dark matter as normal matter in the Universe. But how much of that matters for black holes? Image credit: NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope collaboration. “A […]
Originating out beyond Neptune, thousands of world originate. Who’s the largest? It’s not who you expect, Pluto-lovers! “It is not when truth is dirty, but when it is shallow, that […]
NASA recently announced a cool discovery: asteroids can have rings! Luckily, the one that revealed this is not headed for us. The asteroid 10199 Chariklo, orbiting the sun between Saturn […]
A comet that’s never crossed Earth’s orbit might lead to the most spectacular sky show in years! “I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather be a superb meteor, […]
While 2015 gives us all a fresh start, we can consider the Big Bang until today to be “One Universe Year.” What comes next? “And now we welcome the new […]
“All the while, the glorious sun pours immaculate free energy down upon us, more than we will ever need. Why can’t we summon the ingenuity and courage of the generations […]
We normally think of planets as being synonymous with gas giant or rocky worlds orbiting a parent star. They should all be so lucky. “You cannot be lonely if you […]
Several organizations are hoping to put valuable artifacts — such as a handwritten Jewish scroll — on privately-launched missions to the moon, where they will be preserved in case something bad happens on Earth.
A report from the US National Academy of Sciences urges the space agency to make a decision on its long term goals. Those goals, argue scientists, need to include putting astronauts on Mars.
Private space companies are gearing up for their most active year yet as they work to create a space tourism market and exploit resources beyond the planet.
The far side looks *nothing* like the side that faces us. After 55 years, we may finally know why. “When you’re finally up at the moon looking back on earth, all […]
What the first signs of life beyond our Solar System will look like. Image credit: Tanga et al., 2012. “Language… has created the word ‘loneliness’ to express the pain of […]
Former United States Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner explains the recipe for financial disaster and the importance of remembering prior crises. Geithner is the author of Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises (http://goo.gl/v0R9pg).
If you thought “planets move about the sun in ellipses,” wait until you read this. “I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of […]
We all feel bad for Pluto, but it had its demotion coming. “I have announced this star as a comet, but since it is not accompanied by any nebulosity and, further, […]
What’s new at NASA? Here’s a quick video overview of big events and developments from the past week. From a citizen scientist challenge to help track asteroids to news out […]
There’s plenty of gas, dust, planets and rocky bodies out there. Could some combination of them explain dark matter? Image credit: Chris Blake and Sam Moorfield, via http://www.sdss3.org/surveys/boss.php. “When a […]
The top 10 pictures from a Russian cosmonaut you’ve never heard of. Image credit: NASA, Space Shuttle Atlantis, during mission STS-132. “We came all this way to explore the Moon, […]
In theory, there’s a way to push the cosmic reset button. Here’s how. “Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is […]
It’s safe to say that long before our ancient ancestors developed language, our moon has been a source of fascination. Closing out the turbulent 1960s with humankind landing on the […]
The last object in the entire Messier Catalogue is faint, elusive, and the most common type of galaxy in the Universe! Image credit: Adam Block / NOAO / AURA / […]