Move over, Hubble! NASA’s currently in the middle of building Hubble’s successor as we speak. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWTS) will help astronomers understand the history of the universe using infrared technology and a mirror coated in 24-karat gold! To discover how these function, read on, and prepare to launch! Continue reading
Cosmology is confusing, yet extremely interesting! Before we get deeper, we actually got the picture of our universe 380,000 years after the Big Bang. Wondering where did we get this baby picture of our universe? Let’s talk from the start. Continue reading
Active Region 1515 has now spit out 12 M-class flares since July 3. Early in the morning of July 5, 2012 there was an M6.1 flare. It peaked at 7:44 AM EDT. This caused a moderate — classified as R2 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s space weather scale — radio blackout that has since subsided. Continue reading
A maneuver on Tuesday (June 26, 2012) adjusted the flight path of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft for delivering the rover Curiosity to a landing target beside a Martian mountain. The car-size, one-ton rover is bound for arrival the evening of Aug. 5, 2012, PDT. Continue reading
The United States’ space exploration program is taking a critical step forward with a successful major technical review of the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket that will take astronauts farther into space than ever before. Continue reading
After successfully completing nearly five months scrutinizing the giant asteroid Vesta at its lowest orbit altitude, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft will begin its final major science data-gathering phase at Vesta on June 15, at an average altitude of 680 kilometers above the surface. Continue reading
The private spaceflight company SpaceX has signed its first launch customer for its new mega-rocket, the Falcon Heavy, even as the firm’s first commercial spaceship prepares to return home from the International Space Station. Continue reading
This week I recommend to follow @NiteSkyGirl for news from an amateur astronomer who still observes the night sky with her backyard telescopes. For more Twitter follow suggestions see our astronomy list @TheAstroBlog/astronomy Weekly Stumbles: NASA’s Spitzer Sees the Light … Continue reading
A massive alien planet that may have been ripped into Earth-size chunks by its dying parent star is offering a unique glimpse into the evolution of other worlds and their stars, scientists say. The planet’s two remaining pieces, were possibly created when their parent body spiraled inward too close to the bloated red giant star KIC 05807616. Continue reading
A newly unveiled company with some high-profile backers — including filmmaker James Cameron and Google co-founder Larry Page — is set to announce plans to mine near-Earth asteroids for resources such as precious metals and water. Continue reading