NASA will contribute spectroscopy instrument to a planet-hunting mission
The hunt for distant planets or exoplanets will be getting a new tool in the next decade, with the launch of the European Space Agency's ARIEL in 2028. Now, NASA has announced it will be contributing an instrument called CASE to the project for a deeper examination of distant worlds.
Neptune’s moons twirl around each other in an unprecedented dance
Far out on the edge of the solar system, chilly Neptune takes 165 years to orbit around the sun. In orbit around Neptune are 14 moons, and new research reveals more about the movements of the planet's innermost moons, Naiad and Thalassa, which have a highly unusual and unprecedented orbit.
Stingray-inspired craft could glide through the atmosphere of Venus
Even though Venus is nearby to Earth, there is still much that remains unknown about our planetary neighbor. A team from the University of Buffalo is working on a craft designed to explore Venus' dark side. The BREEZE craft is a morphing design with flapping wings inspired by a stingray’s pectoral fins.
Watch Live: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites on the Falcon 9
SpaceX is continuing its ambitious mission to bring internet to the world through its Starlink program. SpaceX hopes to launch the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink satelites from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 9:56 a.m. ET on Monday, November 11. Here's how to watch the launch live.
An infinite loop: New research suggests the universe may be a closed sphere
Most people think of space as a flat sheet: You travel in one direction, and you end up far from your starting point. But a new paper suggests that the universe may in fact be spherical: If you travel far enough in the same direction, you'd end up back where you started.
Scientists look to the skies to estimate how fast the universe is expanding
The Hubble Constant is one of the most important concepts in astronomy. It describes how fast the universe is expanding, which has implications for the age and future development of the universe. Now, a new paper describes a novel technique using gamma rays to estimate the constant.
How to watch Mercury transit the face of the sun on Monday
A rare event is occurring on Monday: The planet Mercury is passing directly between the Earth and the Sun. This is called a transit, and it occurs only 13 times every 100 years. The last transit of Mercury was in 2016, and the next one won't be until 2023, so you should take the chance to view this event.
NASA’s charge-dissipating paint provides a potential solution to a dusty problem
The fine dust which covers the moon's surface causes a range of technical problems from gumming up electronics to sticking to absolutely everything. It's even potentially harmful to the health of astronauts. Now, NASA has come up with a solution which could help alleviate the dust problem.
Instagram will begin hiding like counts as part of a U.S. test next week
Instagram continues to tweak its user experience, recently making changes such as removing the following tab and promoting the new version of the explore tab in its place. Now, the company has begun testing out one of its most controversial changes in the United States: Hiding like counts.
Astronauts will attempt to fix ‘unserviceable’ dark matter detection instrument
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer instrument was installed on the International Space Station in 2011 but was only designed to operate for three years. Now, the cooling system is failing. So ISS astronauts will attempt to rejuvenate the device and get it working once again using new spacewalk procedures.
ISS astronauts await arrival of cookie oven to bake out-of-this-world snacks
A craft from commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is headed to the International Space Station carrying 8,200 pounds of research equipment and one very special delivery: A cookie oven. The Zero G Oven is designed to turn cookie mix into delicious, freshly baked space cookies.
New printer creates colorful, more realistic 3D digital holograms
A French company has come up with a new technique for printing holograms: 2D images which appear to be 3D. The Chimera printer can print brighter, more detailed holograms than previous hologram printing technologies, using a specially developed highly sensitive photomaterial which has a very fine grain.
How did that planet get there? TESS investigates a planetary mystery
NASA's planet-hunting satellite TESS, or Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, has made another intriguing discovery. This time, it's located a planet somewhere where it shouldn't be, right in the middle of a zone in which any planet should have been annihilated by its star.
Rare super-Neptune exoplanet spotted in nearby binary system
Astronomers using the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer on the Keck Telescope have discovered a rare type of exoplanet called a super-Neptune. This type of planet is larger than Neptune and around five to seven times the size of Earth.
5,000 ‘eyes’ will scan the night sky for clues to the puzzle of dark energy
The hunt for dark energy has gained a new weapon, with the first test of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) being completed recently. DESI is installed atop a telescope and will search for evidence of the energy which makes up 68% of the universe and speeds up its expansion.
Is Pluto a planet? NASA administrator and Brian May reignite the debate
In 2006 the International Astronomical Union caused consternation when it declared that Pluto was no longer a planet. Now, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstein and Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian Many have reignited the debate over Pluto's status by coming out in favor of it being a planet.
NASA is considering whether to send an orbiter to Pluto
NASA is considering making a return trip to Pluto, and has awarded funding to the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to study the cost and feasibility of an orbiter mission there. This following the success of the New Horizons mission which visited Pluto in 2015.
Here’s how to watch Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule abort system test on Monday
On Monday, Boeing will perform a key test of its Starliner crew capsule which NASA hopes will eventually ferry astronauts into orbit. The pad abort test is an important part of testing for manned launches and will be aired live on NASA TV. We've got the details about the test and where you can watch it.
Smartphone battery capacity could be increased using nanochain material
If you're frustrated by the fact electronic gadgets get more sophisticated but your smartphone battery still can't last a full day, then research from Purdue University could offer some relief. Chemists have developed a new method for designing lithium-ion batteries which could make them last longer.
The universe dresses up for Halloween as Hubble captures skull-like galaxy
Just in time for Halloween, scientists from the European Space Agency have released an image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope showing a system which looks like a ghostly face peering out from the dark depths of space. The system has an unusual shape formed by two galaxies which are colliding.
Tiny dwarf planet discovered in our solar system is one-fifth the size of Pluto
In the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, numerous small bodies orbit around our sun. Only one of them, Ceres, is considered a dwarf planet. But now, astronomers have looked more closely at one of Ceres' little brothers, Hygiea, and determined that it may be our solar system's smallest dwarf planet.
Astronomers propose comets could carry microscopic life to other solar systems
Interstellar comets like 'Oumuamua raise the possibility that they could bring materials and even lifeforms from other solar systems to our own. But a new paper argues that the opposite process could be happening as well: We could be exporting life from our solar system to others via comets.
SpaceX will test its Crew Dragon capsule next week, following explosion in April
SpaceX is set to perform an important test on its Crew Dragon capsule, which will eventually carry astronauts to the International Space Station, following an explosive setback earlier this year. As reported by CNBC, SpaceX will conduct a static fire test of its Crew Dragon capsule next week.
Astronomers discover a cosmic Yeti: A massive galaxy from the early universe
Astronomers have spotted evidence of a massive and ancient galaxy, so old and so large that they compared finding it to spotting a cosmic Yeti. They saw glowing dust in a signal that took 12.5 billion years to reach Earth, meaning they were looking back at an event from the very early universe.
Two exoplanets smashed together, pulverizing each other into fine dust
NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has seen evidence of a dusty graveyard of two exoplanets in the BD +20 307 binary star system. Experts believe the dusty debris disk they have spotted is the result of two exoplanets colliding and smashing into tiny particles.
Could the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy harbor a wormhole?
Researchers have come up with a technique that could allow the detection of traversable wormholes -- theoretical tunnels in space-time which would let objects travel across the galaxy or even the universe. They even wonder if the black hole at the center of our galaxy could harbor such a wormhole.
See a photo of the strange gel-like substance found on the far side of the moon
Earlier this year, China's space program announced it had discovered an oddly-colored gel-like substance of unknown origin on the far side of the moon. Now, the China Lunar Exploration Program has released a photo of its strange find which shows more details about what the substance could be.
NASA’s James Webb Telescope deploys its tennis court-sized sunshield in test
NASA's troubled James Webb Space Telescope is coming closer to completion, having recently passed the important test of deploying its massive five-layered sunshield. The sunshield is the size of a tennis court and is necessary to protect the telescope's delicate machinery from the heat of the sun.
SpaceX aims to send a Starship to the moon within three years
When SpaceX unveiled its gorgeous next-generation Starship rocket last month, CEO Elon Musk announced an ambitious timeline of tests for the new vehicle. Now, more details about SpaceX's plans have been announced by President and COO Gwynne Shotwell at the 2019 International Astronautical Congress.
Will drive for Froot Loops. Rats cruise around in tiny cars in name of science
In this year's most delightful behavioral neuroscience experience, scientists have taught rats how to drive tiny cars in exchange for pieces of breakfast cereal. When rats were placed inside a robot car, they were able to learn to drive by pressing bars and could navigate around a tiny rat arena.
Meet VIPER, the rover that’s going to hunt for water on the moon
As part of its Artemis mission to return to the moon by 2024, NASA is recruiting a new robotic helper: The VIPER rover, which will sniff out lunar water ice. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover will be sent to the moon's south pole, where frozen water has been detected.
Collisions of neutron stars create element that makes fireworks sparkle
When neutron stars collide, they don't only produce dazzling light, bursts of gamma rays, and magnetic fields trillions of times stronger than the field on Earth. Scientists have found they also create heavy elements like strontium, finally answering a puzzle about the origin of elements found on Earth.
U.S. senator introduces radical bill to protect people’s private data
A U.S. Senator has called for a radical new approach to consumer privacy to be adopted following revelations about the sale and misuse of data by various technology companies. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has introduced a new bill as an even stronger update to his privacy legislation proposed last year.
Ikea’s smart blinds finally go on sale in the U.S., but only in certain stores
Smart home enthusiasts in the U.S. who have been waiting impatiently for Ikea to release its affordable Fyrtur smart blinds need wait no longer. Despite a series of delays, the blinds are now available to purchase in the U.S., but they cannot be ordered online -- they're only available in selected stores.
Scientists want to implant mini human brains in animals
It sounds like something out of a 1980s horror movie, but medical researchers are now able to transplant human mini-brains, aka brain organoids, into animals like rats. We spoke to lead researcher Dr. Isaac Chen about the ethical issues involved in this research, as well as its potential benefits.
Apple rejects Hong Kong protest map from App Store, relents under pressure
Pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong have been using an app that shows information about police activity. The developers wanted to make the map available as a mobile app, but Apple rejected it from the iOS App Store. Under international pressure, Apple walked back that decision and allowed the app.
Apple backs down, returns parental control app OurPact to App Store
Controversial parental control app OurPact has returned to the iOS App Store. In April this year, Apple removed a number of parental control apps which used a technology called Mobile Device Management that allows access to user location, app use, email accounts, camera permissions, and browsing history.