Astrobiologists continue to work towards determining which biosignatures might be best to look for when searching for life on other worlds. The most common idea has been to search for evidence of plants that use the green pigment chlorophyll, like we have on Earth. However, a new paper suggests that bacteria with purple pigments could flourish under a broader range of environments than their green cousins. That means current and next-generation telescopes should be looking for the emissions of purple lifeforms.
Space News & Blog Articles
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Birthplace of weird Earth 'quasi-moon' Kamo’oalewa found
Scientists turned into cosmic crime scene investigators to reconstruct the impact that sent Earth's "quasi-moon" Kamo'oalewa rocketing from the lunar surface millions of years ago.
See the Southern Ring Nebula in 3D
Planetary nebula are some of nature’s most stunning visual displays. The name is confusing since they’re the remains of stars, not planets. But that doesn’t detract from their status as objects of captivating beauty and intense scientific study.
Hubble Has Accidentally Discovered Over a Thousand Asteroids
The venerable Hubble Space Telescope is like a gift that keeps on giving. Not only is it still making astronomical discoveries after more than thirty years in operation. It is also making discoveries by accident! Thanks to an international team of citizen scientists, with the help of astronomers from the European Space Agency (ESA) and some machine learning algorithms, a new sample of over one thousand asteroids has been identified in Hubble‘s archival data. The methods used represent a new approach for finding objects in decades-old data that could be applied to other datasets as well.
Fortnite launches to the moon in new 'Lunar Horizons' simulation game
A preview of Fortnite's new free-to-play "Lunar Horizons" mission experience on the moon.
NASA astronauts enter quarantine for 1st crewed Boeing Starliner launch on May 6
Veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are in quarantine at agency facilities before the 1st Boeing Starliner launch. They are expected to fly on May 6.
Building rockets and looking for life on Venus: Q&A with Rocket Lab's Peter Beck
Space.com caught up with Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck recently to talk about the company's ambitious plans for the future, which include a private life-hunting mission to Venus.
Live coverage: Rocket Lab to launch NASA, Korean payloads on Electron flight
An artist’s concept of NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft in orbit. Graphic: NASA/Aero Animation/Ben Schweighart
Rocket Lab is gearing up for its fifth launch of the year, which will be a rideshare mission between the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and NASA. This will also be the company’s 47th Electron launch to date.
Live coverage: SpaceX aims for 300th Falcon booster landing during Starlink mission
A Falcon 9 stands ready for a Starlink mission at Cape Canaveral’s pad 40. File photo: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.
SpaceX is preparing for a Falcon 9 launch that will set up the company to complete its 300th booster landing to date. The Starlink 6-53 mission will also mark the 30th orbital launch from Florida in 2024.
Watch 4 solar flares erupt from the sun at nearly the same time in extremely rare event (video)
The quadruple eruption was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Meteorites Tighten Timeline for Giant Planets’ Movement through the Solar System
By linking a family of meteorites on Earth to their relatives in the asteroid belt, scientists have arrived at a new understanding of the giant planets' movement early in the solar system's history.
Slovenia signs NASA's Artemis Accords for cooperative space exploration
Slovenia signed NASA's Artemis Accords on April 19, becoming the 39th country to affirm their cooperation in future space endeavors to the moon and beyond.
Ariane 6 flies OOV-Cube: Internet of (wild) Things
Europe’s newest rocket soon launches, taking with it many space missions each with a unique objective, destination and team at home, cheering them on. Whether launching new satellites to look back and study Earth, peer out to deep space or test important new technologies in orbit, Ariane 6’s first flight will showcase the versatility and flexibility of this impressive, heavy-lift launcher. Read on for all about OOV-Cube, then see who else is flying first.
ESA graduates the 'Hoppers': Europeans, Australian pass astronaut basic training
The "Hoppers" — five European astronauts and the first astronaut from the Australian Space Agency — are now ready to "hop" into their first flight assignments, having completed basic training.
Hubble celebrates 34th anniversary
In celebration of the 34th anniversary of the launch of the legendary NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on 24 April, astronomers took a snapshot of the Little Dumbbell Nebula (also known as Messier 76, M76, or NGC 650/651) located 3400 light-years away in the northern circumpolar constellation Perseus. The photogenic nebula is a favourite target of amateur astronomers.
Watch the Full Pink Moon 2024 bloom in the night sky tonight
The Full Pink Moon of April 2024 steals the show tonight as it crosses the nighttime sky from dusk until dawn.
Sky & Telescope Joins the Northeast Astronomy Forum
Sky & Telescope met with readers old and new at the annual Northeast Astronomy Forum.
Watch Rocket Lab launch new NASA solar sail tech to orbit today
Rocket Lab will launch a South Korean Earth-observation satellite and new NASA solar-sailing tech this evening (April 23), and you can watch it live.
Space Team Europe for Ariane 6: Julien Guiridlian
Video: 00:02:19
They say it takes a village to raise a child. To launch a rocket, we have the combined expertise and passion of Space Team Europe. Julien Guiridlian is one of many making the first Ariane 6 launch possible and has been interviewed as part of a series highlighting some of the people that make up this dream team.
NASA Restores Communications with Voyager 1
The venerable Voyager 1 spacecraft is finally phoning home again. This is much to the relief of mission engineers, scientists, and Voyager fans around the world.
Cosmic fountain is polluting intergalactic space with 50 million suns' worth of material
Astronomers have mapped a 20,000-light-year-long fountain of gas blasting from a nearby galaxy and polluting intergalactic space at 450 times the top speed of a jet fighter.
