Astronomers using data from NASA’s Kepler mission have discovered the three smallest planets yet detected orbiting a star beyond our sun. The planets orbit a single star, called KOI-961, and are 0.78, 0.73 and 0.57 times the radius of Earth. The smallest is about the size of Mars. Continue reading
After spending more than 240 days “sailing” around Earth, NASA’s NanoSail-D — a nanosatellite that deployed NASA’s first-ever solar sail in low-Earth orbit — has successfully completed its Earth orbiting mission. Continue reading
This nebula known technically as NGC 6960 but nicknamed the “Witch’s Broom Nebula” is an expanding cloud of debris that gains its colors by sweeping up and exciting existing nearby gas. The nebula was created by a supernova explosion about … Continue reading