Image: Europe has kicked off the new year with an intense winter heatwave. The warm temperatures and lack of snowfall in the Alps has left several ski resorts with little or no snow. The difference in snow cover is visible in these Copernicus Sentinel-2 images captured in January 2022 compared to January 2023.
Space News & Blog Articles
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Will Pluto finally answer, ‘Are we alone?’
We previously examined how Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, could answer the longstanding question: Are we alone? With its nitrogen geysers discovered by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, possible interior ocean, and lack of craters, Triton could be geologically active, which makes it an excellent celestial body for future astrobiology missions. But Triton isn’t the only place on the edge of the solar system which garners interest for finding life beyond Earth, as one of the most familiar and well-known (former) planets also exhibits evidence of recent geological activity and crater-less surface features. This is everyone’s favorite dwarf planet, Pluto, which like Triton has only been visited by one spacecraft, this one being NASA’s New Horizons, in 2015. But even with only one visitation, we discovered so much about Pluto, and what it might be hiding, as well.
“To Boldy Go”: The Nichelle Nichols Foundation Continues Actress’ Legacy of Inspiration
“Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going. Space travel benefits us here on Earth. And we ain’t stopped yet. There’s more exploration to come.”
How a Rotating Universe Makes Time Travel Possible
It turns out that time travel into the past is actually relatively easy. All you need to do is make the universe rotate.
NASA opens hatch of Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft (photo)
Technicians have opened the hatch of NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft, which aced its epic moon mission late last year.
This Star is Blasting Out a Concentrated Jet of Material at 500 km/s
MWC 349A is a star about 3,900 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. It’s huge, about 38 times as massive as the Sun. It’s actually a binary star and may even be a triple star. It’s an oddball and one of the brightest sources of radio emission in the sky.
In photos: Virgin Orbit's first UK launch from Spaceport Cornwall
Virgin Orbit made spaceflight history despite its successful launch from Spaceport Cornwall. See some of the best photos from the event here.
Rocket Lab targeting Jan. 23 for 1st launch from US soil
Rocket Lab's debut mission from American soil will lift off from Virginia on Jan. 23, if all goes according to plan.
7-year eclipse reveals 'exceptionally rare' binary system with 1000-year orbit
The strange 7-year dimming of a distant star was caused when its oddball stellar companion eclipsed it. The event was serendipitously caught by astronomers and won’t occur again for centuries.
Rare 'green pea' galaxy may be the most 'chemically primitive' galaxy ever discovered
A 'green pea' galaxy seen in an early James Webb Space Telescope image may be the most chemically primitive galaxy ever discovered.
Astronomers make 1st-ever 3D map of Local Bubble's magnetic fields
The magnetic fields swept up on the surface of the Local Bubble influence where star formation occurs in the vicinity of the sun.
Webb confirms its first exoplanet
Researchers have confirmed the presence of an exoplanet, a planet that orbits another star, using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope for the first time. Formally classified as LHS 475 b, the planet is almost exactly the same size as our own, clocking in at 99% of Earth’s diameter.
First launch by ABL Space Systems fails shortly after liftoff
ABL’s RS1 rocket lifts off from Kodiak Island, Alaska, on Wednesday. Credit: ABL Space Systems
ABL Space Systems’ first RS1 rocket fell back on its launch pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska, shortly after liftoff Tuesday on the company’s first orbital launch attempt, destroying the rocket and damaging the ground facility, officials said.
NASA's Juno Jupiter probe bounces back from memory glitch
NASA's Jupiter explorer Juno's memory is back online, and most of the precious images of the gas giant and its volcanic moon Io Juno took just before the glitch hit have been salvaged.
Russia to launch replacement for damaged Soyuz crew ship at space station
Russia’s Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft undergoing launch preparations last year at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: Energia
Russian space agency and NASA officials said Wednesday they will accelerate the launch of the next Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station, and fly it to the complex next month without anyone on-board to replace a Soyuz crew ferry ship damaged Dec. 14 by a high-speed impact, likely from a tiny particle from deep space.
SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule returns to Earth after 6-week stay at space station
A robotic SpaceX capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida on Wednesday morning (Jan. 11), wrapping up its six-week cargo mission.
Solar flare hat trick: Sun unleashes another powerful X-flare in less than a week!
The sun has fired off its third powerful X-class solar flare in less than a week, scoring an explosive hat trick.
Everything we know about Star Wars Jedi Survivor: release date, plot & more
Hit the music and start the text crawl - here's everything we know about Star Wars Jedi Survivor.
Russia to launch new Soyuz capsule to replace leaky spacecraft on space station
Russia will launch an empty Soyuz capsule to the International Space Station February to replace a damaged spacecraft that is unsafe to return its crew.
SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule streaks to predawn splashdown in Gulf of Mexico
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule streaks through the atmosphere on the way to splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida. Credit: SpaceX
A SpaceX-owned Dragon cargo capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday, returning 4,400 pounds of science equipment and hardware from the International Space Station after a 45-day resupply mission.
Astronomers Discover Giant Blinking Star
A red giant star thousands of light-years away "blinked," dimming significantly for seven long years, before returning to normal.
