Space Research & Astronomy
Solar Dynamics Observatory―an eye on the Sun
By Bryan Dyne, March 13, 2010
One month after its successful launch, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has begun capturing high-resolution images of solar phenomena at 10-second intervals.
Spacecraft Kepler discovers five extrasolar planets
By Bryan Dyne, February 2, 2010
NASA reported last month that Kepler, the first spacecraft dedicated to searching for planets beyond our solar system, has discovered its first five extrasolar planets. Though they are uninhabitable f...
Moon experiment shows presence of water
By Patrick Martin, November 17, 2009
The deliberate crashing of a US rocket into the surface of the Moon has produced evidence of “a significant amount” of water ice, a discovery that could revolutionize the exploration of the Earth...
Newly repaired Hubble telescope releases first images
By Bryan Dyne, September 23, 2009
The first images from the repaired and upgraded telescope include a dazzling combination of planetary nebula, star clusters and galaxies.
Four hundred years since Galileo’s astronomical discoveries
By Hector Cordon, August 15, 2009
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 has been designated by the International Astronomy Union and UNESCO in honor of the 400th anniversary of the discoveries of Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler...
Forty years since the first Moon landing
By Patrick Martin, July 20, 2009
Forty years ago, two American astronauts became the first human beings to land on the Moon. This historic feat is all the more remarkable because manned exploration of Earth’s satellite inaugurated ...
Hubble Space Telescope receives final upgrade
By Bryan Dyne, June 23, 2009
New instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope are currently undergoing calibration following the latest upgrade to the venerable scientific instrument.
New space telescope to search for earth-sized planets
By Bryan Dyne, March 24, 2009
On March 6, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration successfully launched the Kepler mission, which will observe 100,000 stars in search of smaller, Earth-sized planets.
First images taken of extrasolar planets
By Hector Cordon, December 1, 2008
In a breakthrough expected to foster further discoveries, two teams of astronomers have for the first time directly imaged planets orbiting stars outside the solar system.
China’s first space walk signals new rivalry in outer space
By John Chan, October 13, 2008
China's third manned space flight, launched on September 25 and returning to earth on September 28, was its most ambitious. Some 40 years after the Soviet Union and the US, China has become only the t...
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