Astronomy, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 31, 2013

Eco-Friendly Galaxy Wastes Nothing to Build Stars

Scientists have found what may be the most environmentally friendly galaxy ever seen, a galactic star factory that operates with a nearly 100-percent efficiency rate. It is located about 6 billion light-years from Earth. NASA unveiled the galaxy discovery today (April 23), one day after Earth Day, and dubbed the...

Feb 28, 2013

Comet Impacts May Have Jump-Started Life on Earth

Life's building blocks can form in the harsh environment of deep space, a new study suggests, bolstering the odds that a comet or meteorite strike may have jump-started biological evolution on Earth. Linked pairs of amino acids called dipeptides can take shape in space-like conditions, a team of chemists found....

Feb 28, 2013

New Map of Big Bang Light Hints at Exotic Physics

Europe's Planck spacecraft has revealed the most detailed map yet of the earliest light in the universe, which reveals some tantalizing anomalies that could point toward new physics. The new map tracks small temperature variations in the glow pervading space called the cosmic microwave background (CMB). This light was released...

Feb 28, 2013

Ever-Changing Venus Superstorm Sparks Interest

Elements of a giant cyclone circling above the south pole of Venus constantly break apart and re-form, according to new research. Scientists studying observations of the planet taken over the last six years have concluded that the long-lived storm is constantly evolving, raising even more questions about the unusual weather...

Jan 31, 2013

Meteorite Collectors Race to Find Fragments in Russia

The biggest meteor blast in a century is expected to kick off a booming market in rocks from space. Collectors are already heading for the Chelyabinsk region in Russia, hoping to find a fragment of the 7,000-ton object. NASA estimates the Russian meteor was roughly 50 feet (15 meters) in...

Jan 31, 2013

Red Planet Mars Not So Red Beneath the Surface

The Red Planet's signature color is only skin deep. NASA's Mars rover Curiosity drilled 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) into a Red Planet outcrop called John Klein earlier this month, revealing rock that's decidedly gray rather than the familiar rusty orange of the Martian surface. We're sort of seeing a new...

Jan 31, 2013

Did a Comet Really Chill and Kill Clovis Culture?

A comet crashing into the Earth some 13,000 years ago was thought to have spelled doom to a group of early North American people, and possibly the extinction of ice age beasts in the region. But the space rock was wrongly accused, according to a group of 16 scientists in...

Dec 31, 2012

Crash of the Titans

NGC 520 — also known as Arp 157 — looks like a galaxy in the midst of exploding. In reality, it’s the exact opposite. Two enormous spiral galaxies are crashing into each other, melding and forming a new conglomerate. This happens slowly, over millions of years — the whole process...

Dec 31, 2012

NASA Planet Hunter Bill Borucki Gets Astronomy Award

Bill Borucki, the principal investigator for NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, will be awarded the National Academy of Sciences' 2013 Henry Draper Medal for his work on the prolific planet-hunting mission. This is a commendable recognition for Bill Borucki and the Kepler mission, John Grunsfeld, a former astronaut and NASA's associate...

Dec 31, 2012

Weighing in on the Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell nebula, also known as Messier 27, pumps out infrared light in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The nebula was named after its resemblance to a dumbbell as seen in visible light. It was discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier, who included it as the 27th member...

Nov 30, 2014

Experts Cast Doubt on Meteorite Study's Claims of Martian Life

A debate has long raged among scientists over the possible existence of life on Mars, and a new study is adding fuel to the fire. A recent analysis of the Tissint meteorite, which fell to Earth in 2011 over the Moroccan desert, led to a report of evidence that suggests...

Nov 30, 2014

Space Diamonds in Gold Country: California Meteorite's Secrets Revealed

A meteorite that crashed down in California's gold country is showing off treasures of a different sort: small diamonds that could tell scientists more about the insides of asteroids. The Sutter's Mill meteorite smashed into the ground on April 22, 2012, after a fiery entry that caught the attention of...

Oct 31, 2014

Largest Sunspot in 24 Years Wows Scientists, But Also Mystifies

The biggest sunspot to grace the face of the sun in more than two decades just rotated out of Earth's view, but it was responsible for kicking up some truly amazing solar activity this week. The sunspot (called Active Region 12192 or AR 2192) shot off four powerful flares in...

Aug 31, 2014

Newfound Asteroid Will Give Earth Super-Close Shave on Sunday

Earth is about to have a close encounter with a house-sized asteroid on Sunday (Sept. 7), when a space rock discovered just days ago will zoom by our planet at a range closer than some satellites. But have no fear, NASA says the asteroid won't hit Earth. The asteroid 2014...

Aug 31, 2014

Mock Mars Rover Competition Honors Best Student Designs

This past weekend, students from around the world faced off in a competition to test mock Mars rovers designed to explore the surface of the Red Planet. The first annual European Rover Challenge, the European version of the U.S. University Rover Challenge, was held Friday through Sunday (Sept. 5-7) in...