
Gaia: 'Go' for science
Following extensive in-orbit commissioning and several unexpected challenges, ESA's billion-star surveyor, Gaia, is now ready to begin its science mission. The satellite was launched on 19 December ... more
|  |

Perseid Meteors vs. the Supermoon
Every year, sky watchers and summertime campers circle on their calendars a few key August nights-the 11th, 12th and 13th. These are the dates of the annual Perseid meteor shower, which rarely fails ... more
|  |
The first animals on Earth may have been sea sponges, study suggests
Small Satellite Contracted to Probe Climate Effects of Space Radiation
Fengyun satellite strengthens China global weather forecasting capacity
|  |

Titan Offers Clues to Atmospheres of Hazy Planets
When hazy planets pass across the face of their star, a curious thing happens. Astronomers are not able to see any changes in the range of light coming from the star and planet system.
This pr ... more
|

Glow in Space is Evidence of A Hot Bubble in Our Galaxy
When we look up to the heavens on a clear night, we see an immense dark sky with uncountable stars. With a small telescope we can also see galaxies, nebulae, and the disks of planets. If you look at ... more
|  |

NASA-funded X-ray Instrument Settles Interstellar Debate
New findings from a NASA-funded instrument have resolved a decades-old puzzle about a fog of low-energy X-rays observed over the entire sky. Thanks to refurbished detectors first flown on a NASA sou ... more
|
 |

The source of the sky's X-ray glow
In findings that help astrophysicists understand our corner of the galaxy, an international research team has shown that the soft X-ray glow blanketing the sky comes from both inside and outside the ... more
|  |

Measuring the Smallest Magnets
Imagine trying to measure a tennis ball that bounces wildly, every time to a distance a million times its own size. The bouncing obviously creates enormous "background noise" that interferes with th ... more
|