Space News & Blog Articles
Webb Can Detect Planets Orbiting White Dwarfs, And Maybe Even See Signs of Life
In a recent study accepted to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, an international team of researchers led by Texas A&M University investigate how the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can detect a variety of exoplanets orbiting the nearest 15 white dwarfs to Earth using its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS). This study holds the potential to expand our knowledge of exoplanets, their planetary compositions, and if they can support life.
Former observatory head removed from university post after 'unacceptable behavior' allegations: report
Leiden University and the European Southern Observatory have cut ties with the astronomer.
How Dangerous are Nearby Supernovae to Life on Earth?
Life and supernovae don’t mix.
The 'Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' is going to kidnap Kevin Bacon (trailer)
Marvel Studios releases the first trailer for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special."
Clearing the Air on a Trip to Mars: the NASA Particle Partition Challenge!
In the coming decade, NASA and the China National Space Agency (CNSA) will send the first astronaut crews to Mars. Unlike missions to the International Space Station (ISS) or the Moon, crewed missions to Mars present several unique challenges because of the distance and transit times involved. For instance, it is only practical to send missions to Mars when our two planets are closest to each other in their orbits (known as “Opposition“), which occurs every 26 months. Even then, it can take up to nine months for spacecraft to reach Mars, creating all kinds of logistics headaches.
New James Webb Space Telescope photos show a massive galaxy cluster bending light
Is it two galaxies, or two star clusters? Astronomers aren't yet sure what the James Webb Space Telescope spotted in an image of the early universe.
NASA's Voyager project scientist Ed Stone retires after 50 years
Ed Stone has retired as the project scientist of NASA's Voyager mission, which sent twin probes on a historic "grand tour" of the solar system's giant planets and, much later, out to interstellar space.
NASA's asteroid surveyor snapped stunning shots of Earth and moon before heading to Jupiter's Trojans
NASA's Lucy spacecraft took some amazing photos of Earth and the moon as it prepares to slingshot towards Jupiter's Trojan asteroids.
The last solar eclipse of 2022 in pictures: Incredible photos from around the world
The partial solar eclipse on Oct. 25 delighted skywatchers around the world with a stunning display. We have rounded up some of the best photos here.
New Life for Lunar Seismic Data
A team of planetary scientists has reprocessed Apollo-era seismic data to meet modern forms, ensuring that these precious measurements remain usable for the next generation.
The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission – Tales of Terrific Technology
Video: 00:02:56
Meet Hera, our very own asteroid detective. Together with two CubeSats – Milani the rock decoder and Juventas the radar visionary – Hera is off on an adventure to explore Didymos, a double asteroid system that is typical of the thousands that pose an impact risk to planet Earth.
This Mars meteorite contains a toxin that makes pigs vomit (and humans, too)
The detection of a toxin that makes humans and pigs vomit could solve the lingering 100-year-old mystery surrounding the pristine Martian meteorite nicknamed "Lafayette."
New short film to celebrate 50 years since 'Last Man on the Moon' landed
"The Last Man on the Moon" is returning for the 50th anniversary of NASA's last lunar landing. The filmmakers behind the award-winning documentary have announced a new edition focusing on Apollo 17.
The 2022 Orionid meteor shower put on a show for skywatchers around the world (gallery)
The Orionid meteor shower lit up the skies around the world in 2022, and luckily many of our readers were able to catch wonderful images of the "shooting stars."
Occultation Chasers Nab the Shadow of Didymos, Post DART Impact
A worldwide team of dedicated observers ‘stood in the shadow’ of asteroid Didymos recently, as it passed in front of a distant star.
BioLite HeadLamp 425 review: The best astronomy headlamp?
The BioLite HeadLamp 425 is a USB-C rechargeable, no slip, no bounce headlamp full of features for astrophotographers.
The Smallest, Lightest Neutron Star Ever Seen Could be a “Strange Star”
The life of every star is a fight against gravity. Stars are so massive they risk collapsing under their own weight, but this is balanced by the heat and pressure a star generates through nuclear fusion. Eventually, that comes to an end. The outer layers of a star will be cast off, and the remaining core will become a stellar remnant. Which kind of remnant depends on the mass of the core.
Astronomers watch DART mission's asteroid Didymos eclipsing stars with tricky technique
Astronomers have captured the shadow of the space rock Didymos, target of NASA's asteroid-smashing mission, as it passed in front of distant stars.
Telescope deal: Save over $40 on the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ
This telescope deal gives 27% discount on Celestron's easy-to-use refractor and save over $40.
Private space mission to study how solar flares kill exoplanet life
A private space mission will study how solar flares generated by nearby stars can affect habitability of exoplanets in their orbit.
