Space

Jan 27, 2015 05:09 PM EST

Monday's Fly-by Asteroid Has Its Own Moon

You probably heard about it. Last Monday morning, amateur stargazers and professional astronomers alike looked to the heavens to watch the asteroid known as 2004 BL86 glide by Earth. And while NASA's near-Earth object (NEO) tracking program had long known that this brief visitor was no threat to our planet, it still was a fascinating subject of study.

Jan 27, 2015 02:15 PM EST

Kepler Discovers Star System with Five Earth-Sized Planets

NASA's Kepler satellite has discovered a new star system that boasts five Earth-sized planets, dating back to the dawn of our own Milky Way galaxy, new research shows.

Jan 27, 2015 02:10 PM EST

New Space Telescope Boasts Images 1000 Times Sharper Than Hubble

A new space telescope concept, the brainchild of researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, could boast images up to 1,000 times sharper than NASA's own Hubble Space Telescope, potentially changing the game of space exploration.

Jan 26, 2015 06:00 PM EST

The Ring System That Puts Saturn to Shame

Astronomers have recently discovered that an enormous ring system surrounding a planet simply known as J1407b are not super thin and spread out, but just as thick as other known and impressive rings. They are also hundreds of times larger. Eat your heart out Saturn.

Jan 26, 2015 03:26 PM EST

Jupiter's Largest Moons Cast Rare Triple Shadow

Jupiter's three largest moons - lo, Europa and Callisto - cast a rare triple shadow Friday night on their giant host planet, a rare celestial event that won't occur again until 2032.

Jan 23, 2015 06:17 PM EST

Scientists Re-Create Super-Earths in the Lab

Scientists have successfully re-created super-Earths and the cores of giant planets in the lab, hoping to shed some light on the formation of Earth-like planets and the evolutionary processes involved in creating these exotic worlds.

Jan 23, 2015 04:46 PM EST

Asteroid to Swing by Earth Next Week

An asteroid, designated 2004 BL86, will safely swing by Earth next week, marking the closest near-Earth flyby of any known space rock ever.

Jan 22, 2015 11:28 PM EST

Is Rosetta's Comet Growing an Atmosphere?

It's been five months since the European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft finally caught up to its quarry, the comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Now, data from the comet-chaser has been released, revealing some amazing insight about the hurtling space rock's surface.

Jan 22, 2015 08:24 PM EST

Rosetta Finds Comet is Melting Faster Than Ever

New data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft has been revealed, showing that the spacecraft's comet host is shedding a lot more water than expected as it draws closer to the Sun.

Jan 22, 2015 05:07 PM EST

Closer to 'Transcendence'? Robot Given a Worm's Mind

It seems we are a lot closer to the fantastical idea of uploading our minds into computer than most people have ever imagined. Researchers have recently copied the "mind" of a living roundworm and put it into a small robot, taking us a step closer to the amazing (albeit somewhat disturbing) reality of Hollywood's Transcendence.

Jan 21, 2015 01:38 PM EST

Massive Binoculars 'Clear the Dust' in Search for New Earths

Experts are pointing one massive set of binoculars at the night sky, hoping to "clear the dust" from our search for habitable worlds just like Earth.

Jan 21, 2015 12:13 PM EST

Dust on Ocean Seabed May Come From Stellar Explosion

Despite previous belief, dust found on the ocean seabed may not in fact come from supernovae, according to a new study, shedding light on these stellar explosions.

Jan 20, 2015 11:17 PM EST

The Stunning Sun: NASA Scientists Select Their Favorite Pics From SDO

NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) snapped its 100 millionth image of the Sun since it launched into orbit back in 2010. Now, to commemorate this milestone, a pair of NASA's top scientists involved in the mission selected some of their most favorite images. We've selected the best of those best to share with you.

Jan 20, 2015 10:56 AM EST

Dawn Delivers New Closeup of Ceres

NASA's Dawn spacecraft is fast approaching the protoplanet Ceres - one of two asteroids in our solar system that are so large that they may even boast their own unique surfaces and thin atmospheres. Now, photos are coming in from Dawn that show how remarkably round and planet-like this asteroid really is.

Jan 19, 2015 12:50 PM EST

Mysterious Radio Burst Seen in Real Time

A mysterious "fast radio burst" was seen for the first time in real time by astronomers, a strange phenomenon whose origins have yet to be discovered, new research finds.