Quaoar is one of about 3,000 dwarf planets in our Solar System’s Kuiper Belt. Astronomers discovered it in 2002. It’s only half as large as Pluto, about 1,121 km (697 mi) in diameter. Quaoar has a tiny moon named Weywot, and the planet and its moon are very difficult to observe in detail.
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'Star Wars: Visions' Volume 2 blasts back onto Disney+ this year for Star Wars Day
Disney+ released a list of all nine animated shorts for the new season of "Star Wars: Visions" which premieres on Star Wars Day, May 4, 2023.
Could a Dark Energy Phase Change Relieve the Hubble Tension?
According to the most widely-accepted cosmological theories, the Universe began roughly 13.8 billion years ago in a massive explosion known as the Big Bang. Ever since then, the Universe has been in a constant state of expansion, what astrophysicists know as the Hubble Constant. For decades, astronomers have attempted to measure the rate of expansion, which has traditionally been done in two ways. One consists of measuring expansion locally using variable stars and supernovae, while the other involves cosmological models and redshift measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).
Tiny NASA moon probe can't reach lunar orbit as planned
After launching with SpaceX in December 2022, Lunar Flashlight ran into trouble in deep space. Now the mission is eyeing a high-Earth orbit that will allow monthly moon flybys.
Don't panic: Ingenuity helicopter reaches 42 flights on Mars
As Ingenuity scouts for Mars sample return, NASA says the milestone flight and larger Perseverance rover mission represents 'the meaning of life, the universe and everything.'
James Webb Space Telescope pushed past its limits to observe DART asteroid crash
The James Webb Space Telescope had to perform outside of its design limits to observe the collision of NASA's DART probe with asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in September last year, NASA has revealed
A Russian Satellite Has Broken Into Pieces, Littering Debris in Space
A Russian KOSMOS 2499 satellite broke up last month — for a second time — according to the Space Force’s 18th Space Defense Squadron. In a recent tweet, the Space Force said they are currently tracking 85 individual pieces of debris at an altitude of 1,169 km (726 miles). The breakup occurred on January 4, 2023, but the reason for the disintegration remains unknown.
Virgin Orbit's failed debut UK rocket launch traced to '$100 part:' report
Virgin Orbit's debut Cornwall orbital launch ended in failure Jan. 9, and early stages of the investigation point to an inexpensive part in rocket LauncherOne.
ESA successfully unfurls sail to drag spacecraft out of orbit
The European Space Agency has successfully unfurled a sail aboard a used cubesat to help drag the spacecraft down into Earth's atmosphere and out of orbit.
See the green comet near Mars in the night sky this week
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be positioned close to Mars in the Taurus constellation from Feb. 9 through Feb. 14, making it easier to locate as it dims in the night sky.
Astronomers Discover Unexpected Ring around Distant Dwarf Planet
There’s a strangely large-diameter ring around the outer solar system world Quaoar.
Space claw! Sun shoots powerful flare that knocks out shortwave radio (video)
The sun is growing more active in its regular 11-year-cycle and has a huge sunspot serving as a hotbed of flares and other activity.
A dwarf planet beyond Neptune has a mysterious ring that astronomers can't explain
A mini-planet orbiting in the frigid outer reaches of the solar system has a Saturn-like ring of dust and debris that defies the rules of physics, a new study has revealed.
ESA’s Cheops finds an unexpected ring around dwarf planet Quaoar
During a break from looking at planets around other stars, ESA’s CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (Cheops) mission has observed a dwarf planet in our own Solar System and made a decisive contribution to the discovery of a dense ring of material around it.
A fleet of gamma-ray burst detecting cubesats could help crack mystery of neutron star mergers
A constellation of tiny satellites could revolutionize the study of the most energetic explosion in the cosmos and help astronomers untangle the mysteries of colliding neutron stars.
Watch Russia launch cargo mission to space station early Thursday
Russia will launch a robotic cargo mission to the International Space Station early Thursday morning (Feb. 9), and you can watch the action live.
Save $200 on the Nikon D850: An impressive DSLR camera for professionals
This Nikon D850 deal is not only a brilliant camera but comes with an additional free bundle worth $180 to add to your photography arsenal.
Turkey earthquake devastation spotted by satellites (photos)
The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake Monday (Feb. 6) and aftershocks is estimated to be at least 11,200 people in the region, according to reports.
Defying gravity: How video games play with gravity and zero-g
Float on over here as we look at some of the most interesting uses of gravity and weightlessness in video games.
The Alpha-Centaurids meteor shower peaks tonight for Southern Hemisphere skywatchers
The annual meteor shower Alpha-Centaurids peaks on Wednesday (Feb. 8) as Earth passes through a cloud of debris left by an unknown comet - but only for skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere.
