Space

Apr 19, 2014 06:46 AM EDT

Space X's Dragon Spacecraft Sent to International Space Station

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft left for the International Space Station with 5000 pounds of NASA cargo on Friday.

Brightpoints in the sun's atmosphere, left, correspond to magnetic parcels on the sun's surface, seen in the processed data on the right.

Apr 19, 2014 05:14 AM EDT

Sun Boils with Earth- and Jupiter-Sized Clumps of Matter

Scientists at NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) have developed a new way of probing the inner depths of the Sun by collecting data from the star's atmosphere, learning there's more to the solar surface than meets the eye.

The artist's concept depicts Kepler-186f , the first validated Earth-size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone.

Apr 18, 2014 09:25 AM EDT

Distant Earth-Sized Planet Has Right Conditions for Water, Perhaps Life

Using the Kepler Space Telescope, astronomers made a landmark discovery: the first Earth-sized planet within the habitable zone of a star, where water could exist in liquid form.

Apr 16, 2014 06:02 PM EDT

Blood Moon Makes for Good Photos, But Also Provides Information on Atmospheric Conditions

While much of the US East coast was covered by clouds during the total lunar eclipse early Tuesday morning, the skies were unobstructed in Arizona where the National Science Foundation's National Optical Astronomy Observatory is located, providing for some excellent views of the so-called "blood moon", as well as information on the particles in the atmosphere.

This image is a portion of an observation recorded by the narrow-angle camera of Cassini's imaging science subsystem on April 15, 2013. The bright feature at the edge of the A ring is about 750 miles (about 1,200 kilometers) long.

Apr 15, 2014 12:13 PM EDT

Formation of New Moon of Saturn Indicated by NASA's Cassini Probe Data

About a year ago, NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, took a series of images of the planet's outermost rings, documenting an unusual protuberance along the outer ring rim. Now, astronomers report that the disturbance may be the result of a newly forming Saturnian moon.

A shadow falls on the moon as it undergoes a total lunar eclipse as seen from Mexico City April 15, 2014.

Apr 15, 2014 10:13 AM EDT

Total Lunar Eclipse Creates 'Blood Moon', Astonishing Skygazers [PHOTOS]

The first total lunar eclipse of the year occurred early Tuesday, treating skywatchers across the Americas to an amazing spectacle: the Earth's shadow falling across the moon, casting it in an eerie orange hue.

Images of Saturn reveal a hexagonal structure in the planet’s uppermost clouds.

Apr 14, 2014 11:21 AM EDT

Mysterious Hexagon on Saturn Comes into Focus

Years of research by the University of Basque Country Planetary Sciences Group have revealed intriguing clues about the planet's seasonal weather patterns and rotational period, according to a release from the school.

Graphic representation of the newly modeled asteroid and impact crater next to the asteroid believed to have killed the dinosaurs.

Apr 12, 2014 12:55 PM EDT

Scientists model Ancient Asteroid Blast Bigger than one that Killed Dinos

A new study shows an asteroid impact many times more powerful than the one that killed the dinosaurs probably hit the Earth about 3.2 billion years ago - a cataclysmic event that changed the world's tectonic activity, created a vast array of geological features, and contributed to a shift in evolutionary patterns.

Researchers have detected the first "exomoon" candidate -- a moon orbiting a planet that lies outside our solar system.

Apr 12, 2014 11:32 AM EDT

Astronomers Find Possible Evidence of First Observed Exomoon

A rare cosmic opportunity allowed astronomers to detect what may be the first signs of an exomoon - a satellite orbiting an as-of-now unknown planet beyond our solar system.

scientists now can use NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to make precision distance measurements 10 times farther into our galaxy than previously possible.

Apr 11, 2014 08:25 AM EDT

Hubble Space Telescope Used to Measure Stars 10 Times Farther Than Before

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope may be aging, but it regularly delivers images of astronomical wonders, and now its operators have come up with a novel new trick to get the telescope to measure stars at a distance up to 10 times farther than previously possible.

Apr 10, 2014 12:13 PM EDT

A Lake Once Existed in Gusev Crater on Mars, Researchers Say

New research shows that Gusev Crater on Mars might have held a lake in the past.

Apr 08, 2014 12:49 PM EDT

Curious Streak of Light Photographed on Mars is Probably a 'Cosmic Ray Hit'

A curious streak of light that appears to be emitted from the surface of Mars has caused a world of speculation, with some claiming it's a sign of life on Mars, and others suggesting the flare is merely a photographic glitch on one of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover's cameras.