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Your online destination for news articles on planets, cosmology, NASA, space missions, and more. You’ll also find information on how to observe upcoming visible sky events such as meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, key planetary appearances, comets, and asteroids.
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In the past seven days, astronomers discovered a new kind of supernova, the SpaceX Dragon capsule returned valuable space station research safely back to Earth, the Herschel Space Observatory told the story of how massive stars are born, and more.
Published: March 29, 2013 |
 | The patches of red across this galaxy highlight pockets of star formation along the pinwheeling arms.
By Hubble ESA, Garching, Germany
Published: March 29, 2013 |
 | Observations at different wavelengths provide different pieces of information that is characteristic for atomic and molecular gas.
By Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn, Germany, Max Planck Society, Munich, Germany
Published: March 29, 2013 |
 | An analysis of data shows that Saturn’s moons and rings are gently worn vintage goods from more than 4 billion years ago.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Published: March 28, 2013 |
 | Scientists discovered a continuous process in dense star-formation regions that allows the generation of massive suns.
By ESA, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Published: March 28, 2013 |
 | The scientific research returned by Dragon enables advances in human research, biology, and physical sciences.
By NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 27, 2013 |
 | The comet’s higher position in the sky assures lots of great views.
By Michael E. Bakich
Published: March 27, 2013 |
 | Astronomers estimate that stars in this cluster range from 20 to 35 million years old.
By ESO, Garching, Germany
Published: March 27, 2013 |
 | This new class of supernova, type Iax, is fainter and less energetic than type Ia.
By Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Published: March 26, 2013 |
 | Scientists find that both apparently were slammed by the same group of high-speed projectiles.
By NASA/JPL
Published: March 26, 2013 |
 | The new galaxy is a member of a class of objects called Giant Radio Galaxies, which are either very powerful or very old.
By ASTRON, Dwingeloo, Netherlands
Published: March 25, 2013 |
 | In a new analysis, researchers report that the winds in the South Polar Vortex change chaotically from day to day.
By University of the Basque Country, Spain
Published: March 25, 2013 |
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In the past seven days, the Planck mission released the most accurate and detailed map ever made of the oldest light in the universe, Amazon CEO's team announced the recovery of Apollo 11 engines from the Atlantic Ocean floor, the Herschel Space Observatory discovered some of the youngest stars ever seen, and more.
Published: March 22, 2013 |
 | Scientists think sideline quasars reionized intergalactic helium gas from different directions, preventing it from gravitationally collapsing and forming new generations of stars.
By University of Colorado, Boulder
Published: March 22, 2013 |
 | The twin spacecraft went out in a blaze of glory when they were intentionally crashed into a mountain near the Moon’s north pole.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Published: March 22, 2013 |
 | Astronomers studying the aftermath of the supernova explosion have provided us with a stunning view of this relatively nearby galaxy.
By ESO, Garching, Germany
Published: March 21, 2013 |
 | By Sarah Scoles
Published: March 21, 2013 |
 | The most accurate and detailed map ever made of the oldest light in the universe reveals new information about its age, contents, and origins.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 21, 2013 |
 | The objects orbit each other at a rate of once every 2.4 hours, smashing the previous record by nearly an hour.
By ESA, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Published: March 20, 2013 |
 | The discovery gives scientists a peek into one of the earliest and least understood phases of star formation.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 20, 2013 |
 | The origin of Kepler’s supernova strengthens the case that type Ia supernovae may have more than one triggering mechanism.
By Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Published: March 19, 2013 |
 | Researchers have found more hydration of minerals near clay-bearing rock than at locations the rover visited earlier.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 19, 2013 |
 | A team of scientists has revealed a cloudy atmosphere containing water vapor and carbon monoxide on the distant planet HR 8799c.
By W. M. Keck Observatory, Kamuela, Hawaii
Published: March 18, 2013 |
 | Lower slopes of Mount Sharp remain a destination for the Curiosity mission.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Published: March 18, 2013 |
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In the past seven days, astronomers found a pair of stars that has taken over the title for the third-closed star system to the Sun, Curiosity's Mars drilling sample revealed key chemical ingredients for life, scientists discovered an extremely rare triple quasar system, and more.
Published: March 15, 2013 |
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Scientists have found new evidence that hot spots in Jupiter's atmosphere are created by a
Rossby wave, a pattern also seen in Earth's atmosphere and oceans.
By NASA/JPL
Published: March 15, 2013 |
 | Establishing whether life ever existed on Mars is one of the outstanding scientific questions of our time and the highest scientific priority of the ExoMars program.
By ESA, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Published: March 15, 2013 |
 | The pictures show an ancient cratered surface bearing the scars of collisions with many space rocks.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Published: March 14, 2013 |
 | New research indicates that some of the most vigorous bursts of star birth took place 12 billion years ago — a full billion years earlier than previously thought.
By ESO, Garching, Germany
Published: March 14, 2013 |
 | Both stars in the new binary system are brown dwarfs, resembling giant planets like Jupiter more than bright stars like the Sun.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Published: March 13, 2013 |
 | Scientists identified some of the key chemical ingredients for life in the powder Curiosity drilled out of a sedimentary rock.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 13, 2013 |
 | In systems with multiple quasars, the bodies are held together by gravity and are believed to be the product of galaxies colliding.
By Royal Astronomical Society, United Kingdom
Published: March 12, 2013 |
 | On March 11, Earth blocked the observatory’s view of the Sun, and later in the same day, the Moon moved in front of our star for a partial eclipse.
By NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Published: March 12, 2013 |
 | A group of astronomers describes how a single merger event could have produced the features that point to a more violent past for the galactic core.
By Royal Astronomical Society, United Kingdom
Published: March 11, 2013 |
 | These channels are essential to understanding the extent to which recent hydrologic activity prevailed during such arid conditions.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 11, 2013 |
 | Astronomers were surprised to find a young-looking supernova in an old galaxy.
By Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Published: March 8, 2013 |
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In the past seven days, astronomers found an unexpected young-looking supernova in an old galaxy, scientists pinned down the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud, the second SpaceX dragon supply mission arrived at the International Space Station, and more.
Published: March 8, 2013 |
 | The star could be as old as 14.5 billion years, which, at first glance, would make it older than the universe’s calculated age of about 13.8 billion years, an obvious dilemma.
By STScl, Baltimore, Maryland
Published: March 8, 2013 |
 | New results from various X-ray telescopes have provided one of the most reliable determinations yet of the relation between the radius of a neutron star and its mass.
By Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Published: March 7, 2013 |
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Careful observations of a rare class of double stars have
allowed a team of astronomers to deduce a more precise value for this neighboring dwarf galaxy — 163,000 light-years.
By ESO, Garching, Germany
Published: March 7, 2013 |
 | Data suggests there is a chemical exchange between the jovian moon’s ocean and surface, making the ocean a richer chemical environment.
By W. M. Keck Observatory, Kamuela, Hawaii
Published: March 6, 2013 |
 | Scientists estimate that Comet Siding Spring will pass within 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) of Mars, and there is a strong possibility that it might pass much closer.
By Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 6, 2013 |
 | The spacecraft had the chance to look in the direction of the Sun and Venus the past few months.
By NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 5, 2013 |
 | For its Library Telescope Program, the New Hampshire Astronomical Society wins Astronomy’s annual award honoring astronomy outreach programs. By Michael E. Bakich
Published: March 5, 2013 |
 | After spending more than three years studying the universe, the Herschel Space Observatory is expected to exhaust its supply of liquid helium coolant in the coming weeks.
By ESA, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Published: March 5, 2013 |
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Thirteen-year-old Grant Regen of Los Angeles wins a trip to the Northeast Astronomy Forum & Telescope Show (NEAF) with his entry for Astronomy’s 2013 Youth Essay Contest.
By Karri Ferron
Published: March 5, 2013 |
 | Despite losing three of its four thruster pods temporarily after launch, the spacecraft safely berthed with the International Space Station on March 3.
By NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Published: March 4, 2013 |
 | The twin spacecraft witnessed a temporary third radiation belt around our planet, something no one had ever seen happen before.
By NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Published: March 1, 2013 |
 | Uncovering an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars.
By NRAO, Socorro, New Mexico
Published: March 1, 2013 |
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