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Newborn star fires lightsaber: as seen by Hubble

This celestial lightsaber does not lie in a galaxy far, far away, but rather inside our home galaxy.

Potentially habitable planet found close to our solar system

It’s the closest Earth-like planet we’ve ever discovered: Wolf 1061c lies in the habitable zone, joining a very elite list of rocky planets that could host life. The planet, reported in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, is one of the three planets found by astronomers around a small red dwarf star called Wolf 1061 in the constellation Ophiuchus. […]

Three astronauts docked the Space Station

For the first time in history, the UK has a representative on the International Space Station. This morning, British astronaut Tim Peake made his first visit to the station, alongside two seasoned: Russia’s Yuri Malenchenko and NASA’s Tim Kopra. It was a flawless launch, as you can see below. Malechenko had to take manual control after the automated […]

NASA gets $19.285B in 2016 budget - slightly more than requested

After months of delays and years of underfunding, the US Congress finally revealed its plans for funding the federal government in 2016.

Alien megastructure turns out to be passing comets -- SETI confirms

If you're an alien buff or just really, really bored with knowing just one species that can hold a decent conversation, this might come as a bummer. SETI has confirmed that KIC 8462852, the 1,500 light-years away star that's been all over the news as potentially having signs of an advanced alien megastructure built around it is just a regular, run of the mill, alien-free ball of atomic fire.

The only thing that might stop Elon Musk from getting to Mars is WWIII

"There's a window that could be opened for a long time or a short time where we have an opportunity to establish a self-sustaining base on Mars," Musk says.

This is what a simulation of the universe looks like

The image above is a timeline with each frame showcasing a stage in our Universe's evolution, from humble beginning to present date (left to right), as simulated by the Argonne National Laboratory. Called the Q Continuum simulation, this is the most complete cosmological simulation to date covering a volume of 1300 Mpc on a side (one Mpc = 3.08567758 × 1022 meters) where half a trillion particles evolved for a mass resolution of ~1.5x108 Msun.

Scientists find a tiny star with a huge storm -- just like Jupiter's

While the windy and overcast weather of a stormy day isn't surprising on telluric planets, it's not something most of us readily associate with stars. But it does happen -- the best evidence for this is W1906+40, a distant dwarf star recently described in a study published in the Astrophysical Journal.

NASA reveals Earth-like image of Titan

NASA just released an infrared composite image of Saturn's largest moon, constructed from images taken by the Cassini probe.

Japanese orbiter sends back pictures of Venus

The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) is probably celebrating right now, as their Akatsuki orbiter reached Venus on December 7. The first time JAXA tried to do this in 2010, they failed because the engine malfunctioned, and the shuttle didn’t enter the Venusian orbit. Aimlessly wandering into space without its main engines, the spacecraft appeared doomed […]

Newly discovered star's chemistry puzzles researchers

A team of Argentinian astronomers, peering up in the night's sky from the Astronomical Observatory of Córdoba has found a new, young lithium-rich giant star that they designated KIC 9821622. And they can't explain where that lithium comes from.

How 2016 Presidential Candidates See Space Exploration

I know you don't like it, but the truth is science is politicized since, ultimately, serious research depends on funding. That doesn't mean, though, that politicians aren't sympathetic or that they do not understand the importance of science. Some seem to do, anyway. But perhaps the most vulnerable area of science to politics, however, is space exploration. Year after year, it seems like NASA's budget keep thinning. Although NASA is still the most resourceful space agency in the world and despite some amazing achievements (Curiosity rover on Mars or New Horizon's flyby past Pluto, just to name a few), things could be a lot better. Arguably, if NASA kept its stellar budget during the Apollo era, we would've likely been on Mars by now, maybe even with a permanent outpost.

Congress passes law that makes extracting resources in space fair game

Officially, US citizens are now entitled to any resources they mine off the moon, asteroid or any celestial body outside Earth.

How the Moon got its tilt

Astronomers describe that the present-day tilt of the Moon is likely a result of collision-free encounters of the early Moon with small planetary bodies.

Blue Origin makes space history: first controlled landing for a rocket

Jeff Bezos just announced a historical feat: Blue Origin, his space company, successfully launched its New Shepard rocket to 329,839 feet — or sub-orbital space — then safely landed the used rocket just a feet away from the launch pad. This is the first time a controlled landing was demonstrated for a rocket, beating Elon Musk's similar efforts to safely land his Falcon 9 rocket. This monumental milestone suggests reusable rockets will shortly become a reality, revolutionizing space flight in the process.

First flowers to bloom on the International Space Station

For the first time, we are about to grow flowers above the atmosphere.

New Horizons images suggest Pluto is geologically active

NASA released a stunningly colorful new image of the dwarf planet Pluto, the latest in a series of images that steadily trickle down from the New Horizons probe since it left the solar system this July. And it's not only eye candy either; the features this picture reveals has left the smart guys at the agency scratching their heads.

NASA reveals the suits astronauts will use on Mars

If everything goes according to plan, we'll be going to Mars in the mid 2030s - using these suits.

Martian Moon is falling apart

Attraction to someone can tear you apart, metaphorically, but if you're the Martian moon Phobos, attraction can tear you apart - literally.

New most distant body in the Solar system identified

A new dwarf planet, designated V774104 has been identified and now takes the crown of most distant object in our solar system, being three times farther away than Pluto. The dwarf planet is estimated to be between 500 and 1000 kilometers across. Astronomers don't yet have enough data to estimate its orbit and estimate that about an year of observations is needed to gather enough data for a precise answer.

What makes a planet? Finally a simple formula that includes exoplanets as well

There is only one clear set of official criteria by which we class or not a cosmic body as a planet. These criteria introduced in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union saw Pluto demoted to the status of dwarf planet. Oddly enough, though, these rules were made for classing planets only in our solar system, meaning the 5,000 exoplanets (what should be planets outside our solar system) identified so far are now in a "definitional limbo," according to planetary astronomer Jean-Luc Margot at UCLA. Luckily, Margot has come up with a solution which seems to work marvelously.

Astronaut food: what astronauts eat in space

Many of you reading this hope to one day be able to explore outer space; the thrill of discovery, entwined with the peace and solitude that only the silent void can provide. It's awesome stuff, I'm completely on board. But as it usually goes, great adventures come with great sacrifices.

Scientists see something shooting out of a black hole for the first time

Just like predicted, astronomers observed a flare ejected out of a black hole... but they don't know exactly why.

NASA announcement: Martian atmosphere was stripped by solar wind

NASA figured out how Mars transformed from a lush environment to a red desert.

Want to become an astronaut? Maybe even go to Mars? Now you can apply

From Dec. 14, NASA is opening applications for its new astronaut crew. The minimal requirements aren't that strict, but as you might imagine to make the cut you'll have to prove you're better than a stellar class of applicants.

NASA to make major announcement about Mars

NASA just loves to hype up its announcements, but so far, they've never disappointed.

Earth From Space: 15 Amazing Things in 15 Years from the ISS

NASA recently celebrated 15 years of continuous habitation on the International Space Station. During this time, the ISS and other satellites brought us an inestimable trove of information, pushing forth our understanding of the planet by a wide margin. Let’s have a look at some of these accomplishments. Detecting the ozone hole Monitoring the ozone hole […]

The ISS: in space for 15 years

It's a remarkable landmark for the International Space Station (ISS) - it's been successfully orbiting the Earth for 15 years.

Scientists find hydrocarbon dunes on Saturn's moon Titan

Saturn's moon Titan has some odd similarities to Earth: it has clouds, lakes and rain, except they're made of methane and ethane.

Science sexism at its finest: Russian astronauts asked how they will manage without make-up and men

It was exciting at first when Russia announced that six female astronauts would live in a spacecraft in Moscow for eight days, but it went downhill fast.

Jupiter may have ousted a fifth gas giant out of the solar system 4 billion year ago

Our solar system likely had a fifth gas giant in its initial configuration, but the planet was ejected by Jupiter a new study suggests.

Russia wants to fight gender inequality by hilariously planning an all-female mission to the moon

Russia is locking up six women together to simulate a trip to the moon and back. But no one is taking this too seriously, it seems.

Big Surprise: Rosetta finds primordial oxygen on a comet

For the first time, astronomers have detected primordial oxygen gassing out from a comet

Wall-Less Hall drives poised to unlock space colonization

French scientist working on the Hall thrusters -- an advanced type of engine that harnesses a stream of plasma to generate forward momentum -- have recently figured out a way to optimize them, allowing them to run on (wait for it) a staggering 100 million times less fuel than conventional chemical rockets. The research has been published in Applied Physics Letters.

Is the ISS filthy? Dangerous bacteria could threaten astronauts

There's no getting rid of our microscopic friends - where there are people there are bacteria, even in outer space.

NASA prepares for historic Cassini flyby

NASA is preparing for a historical approach to Enceladus, plunging its Cassini spacecraft deep through the icy spray coming from the ocean on Enceladus.

Geopicture of the Week: Brilliant new high-resolution maps of the Moon released

If you’ve ever wanted to plan a hiking trip on the Moon, now you have the perfect opportunity: a gorgeous pair of new lunar maps – the Image Mosaic and Topographic Maps of the Moon – is now available online for everyone to see and download. To me, it’s mind blowing that we have so high quality maps […]

Scientists find alcoholic comet, that keeps spewing alcohol

True to its name, comet Lovejoy is having a stellar party, releasing large amounts of ethanol, the same type of alcohol found in terrestrial alcoholic beverages.

Scientists find two stars touching - and the consequences are... explosive!

About 160,000 light-years away, two stars are overlapping in what could be poetically described as an explosive catastrophic kiss.

Biggest space picture ever: a 46 billion megapixel view of the Milky Way

After five years of painstakingly stitching together pictures of the Milky Way, astronomers from Ruhr University Bochum have finally completed their masterpiece: the largest ever space photo. It has a whooping 46 billion megapixel and 194 GB in file size. It's so large, in fact, that the astronomers had to cut it in 268 sections for it be manageable.

Astronomers witness an exploding star devouring a dwarf planet

It's something no human has ever seen before: as a star reaches its terminal phase, it blows up the system around it.

Many Earth-Like Planets Haven't Formed Yet

Where are all the Earth-like planets? Well, they haven't formed yet!

"Fingers" of Plasma Invade Saturn's Magnetic Field

NASA's Cassini probe recently observed mysterious, huge amounts of plasma on the fringes of Saturn's magnetic field; surprisingly, they were shooting hundreds of thousands of kilometers inward.

ESA and Russia join forces to put man back on the moon

The last time humans set foot on the moon was 1972. Feeling confident it had clearly showed its superiority over Russia, the US felt no more reason to prove itself and immediately shut down subsequent missions. Once with funding gone - and its budget has been thinning since - NASA had to settle for less ambitious goals, and it's not like we can blame them. Building on outpost on the moon, versus say the International Space Station, is not only a lot more expensive, but also impractical. Recent findings, however, suggest there's a lot to gain from having an outpost on the moon, of some sorts at least. That's because the interest has shifted from prestige, or at least not only, to the potentially bountiful economic activities. Minerals, helium-3 (fuel) or precious metals can all be mined from the moon, trillions worth. But before you can shuttle minerals back from the moon, you at least need a footing of some sort. Understanding this, the European Space Agency and Roscosmos banded together to send a robotic probe to an unexplored region of the moon. The ultimate goal, they say, is to prepare the ground for humans.

NASA awards the best designs for a 3-D printed Mars habitat

With today's propulsion tech, it takes at least 1.5 years for a manned crew to reach Mars, and at least as much to get back - provided there's a return mission. There's only so much that can fit in a spacecraft, and besides the supplies astronauts need for the long trip, there's precious cargo that's required to sustain the mission on site like construction materials, lab equipment, food and so on. Remember the last time you went camping? Well, this time we're headed to another planet and forgetting about toiler paper is the least of your worries. But when NASA handles logistics, you know things are tight to the last bolt. Sometimes, outside help and fresh minds are more than welcome, which is why the space agency held a very interesting competition called the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge Design Competition which awards the most innovative, but practical designs of habitats on Mars.

Astronaut Scott Kelly Breaks Record for Days in Space, and It's Important

United States Astronaut Scott Kelly has just beaten the record for the most cumulative days in space, and this is significant for several reasons.

NASA's three stage plan for going to Mars

After the glorious Apollo missions that led humans to the Moon for the first time, it's time for a new Golden Age of space exploration - and NASA has a solid plan for that.

Something is blocking light from a distant star, and one of the possibilities is an alien structure

It's likely not aliens, but it could be - and it's really, really strange.

Earth's gravity pull is opening cracks and faults on the Moon

Just as the Moon is causing waters on Earth to go up and down (tides), so too does the Earth affect the Moon. Recently, researchers have found that our planet's gravitational pull is having a deep effect on our satellite, opening new cracks and faults on its surface.

SpaceX has something major in the works, and we're really excited

Normally, when people say they're working on "the coolest thing ever", we raise our eyebrows in skepticism; but when SpaceX says that... we give them the benefit of a doubt. I mean, they're doing some pretty monumental things as it is, and when they are excited about something, we are excited about something.

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