Arecibo Observatory damaged in accident, operations suspended

Science operations have been suspended at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico after the radio telescope was damaged on Monday August 10. An auxiliary cable supporting a platform appears to have snapped and fallen, damaging the dish.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingArecibo Observatory damaged in accident, operations suspended

Seasonal ultraviolet light pulses in Martian skies three times a night

A NASA spacecraft has observed a pulsing glow coming from Mars. Huge spots of ultraviolet light were seen in the night sky, pulsing with uncanny regularity – exactly three times every night. The find highlights the Red Planet's atmospheric processes.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingSeasonal ultraviolet light pulses in Martian skies three times a night

Stadium-sized balloon to carry NASA telescope to the edge of space

Balloons may seem outdated, but for high-flying scientific instruments they’re making a comeback. NASA has now unveiled ASTHROS, a new infrared telescope that will be carried to the edge of space by a balloon the size of a football stadium.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingStadium-sized balloon to carry NASA telescope to the edge of space

Rocket Lab pinpoints cause of last month’s booster failure

Rocket Lab experienced a notable hiccup in early July, when one of its Electron boosters was lost on its way to orbit, along with the seven satellites onboard. The company now claims to have pinpointed the source of the problem.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingRocket Lab pinpoints cause of last month’s booster failure

SpaceX Demo-2 mission ends with first splashdown in 45 years

History was made today as two NASA astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the privately built and operated SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule. It was the first manned splashdown since July 25, 1975.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingSpaceX Demo-2 mission ends with first splashdown in 45 years

How old is the universe? New studies disagree by a billion years

The universe likes to play coy about its age, but we have a pretty good idea of the range. Now, a series of new studies has investigated the question using different methods, and have reached different answers, separated by more than a billion years.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingHow old is the universe? New studies disagree by a billion years

Interstellar organic matter might be a major source of Earth’s water

Earth is a famously watery planet, but where exactly it all came from is a mystery. Now researchers have suggested a new origin story, by showing that water and petroleum can form inside clouds of organic matter, at high temperatures and pressure.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingInterstellar organic matter might be a major source of Earth’s water

Puzzled astronomers watch a black hole vanish and reappear in a year

Despite the name, black holes often shine very bright in the sky, due to their hot glowing corona. Now, astronomers have been puzzled to watch a black hole’s corona suddenly vanish – and if that wasn’t weird enough, it reappeared a few months later.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingPuzzled astronomers watch a black hole vanish and reappear in a year

Hubble and ALMA mosaic captures stellar fireworks of star formation

Astronomers are celebrating the 4th of July weekend by releasing a new image of some cosmic fireworks. The spectacular shot is made up of a mosaic of radio and infrared images, showing a cluster of young stars exploding into life.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingHubble and ALMA mosaic captures stellar fireworks of star formation

Flight controls from historic Apollo 11 mission go up for auction

Julien's Auctions is offering a trio of historic Apollo 11 artifacts as part of its Legends & Explorers auction. Three of the hand controllers used to steer the Columbia spacecraft are expected to fetch between US$80,000 and $200,000 each.

Source of Article

Continue ReadingFlight controls from historic Apollo 11 mission go up for auction