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9.12.2008 - Spooky Hurricane Science
Weather & Climate: To improve hurricane forecasting, NASA engineers are spending time in a spooky room where 'no one can hear you scream.'
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9.10.2008 - Naked-Eye Gamma-ray Burst Aimed Directly at Earth
Gamma-ray Bursts: Scientists are beginning to unravel the mystery of an extraordinary gamma-ray burst on March 19, 2008, which was visible to the naked eye. It turns out the explosion was aimed directly at Earth.
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9.5.2008 - NASA to Explore a "Secret Layer" of the Sun
Space Weather: NASA researchers are preparing to launch an experimental telescope that can see a layer of the sun thought to be the "birthplace of space weather."
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9.2.2008 - Amateur Astronomers See Perseids Hit the Moon
Meteors: Backyard astronomers watching the Perseid meteor shower last month saw meteoroids hitting not only Earth but also the Moon. They recorded the impacts using backyard telescopes and off-the-shelf cameras, showing that "lunar meteors" are easy targets for amateur observatories and that amateur astronomers can contribute to NASA's lunar research.
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8.26.2008 - First Light for the Fermi Space Telescope
Gamma-Ray Astronomy: Today, NASA revealed first light images and announced a new name for its latest space telescope.
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8.25.2008 - Strange Clouds at the Edge of Space
International Space Station: Astronauts on board the International Space Station have recently photographed strange electric-blue clouds hovering at the edge of space.
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8.19.2008 - Living with a Star
Solar Weather: What if you woke up one morning and found your whole planet had been swallowed by the atmosphere of a star? Don't laugh, it could happen to you, and NASA has a special program to deal with it.
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8.15.2008 - The Realm of Earthworms: NASA Gets Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Earth Science: NASA scientists are preparing to launch a "flying tractor" with microwave sensors to explore the nitty-gritty realm beneath your feet.
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8.11.2008 - A Flash of Insight: LCROSS Mission Update
The Moon: There are places on the Moon where the sun hasn't shined for millions of years, inky-dark places that may harbor a treasure of great value. NASA's is about to light one of them up.
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7.31.2008 - A Brief History of Solar Sails
Propulsion: Have you ever stared up at the night sky, felt a gentle breeze, and wished you could set sail for the stars? Get in line. Many great thinkers from history have had the same idea. This long-held fancy could soon become reality with one solar sail mission on the drawing board and another already on the launching pad, slated to blast off this summer.
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7.29.2008 - Partial Eclipse, Total Fun
Looking Up: This Friday, August 1st, millions of people in China will witness a well-publicized total eclipse of the sun. Less widely reported is the partial eclipse, which *billions* of people across a quarter of the globe can observe and enjoy.
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7.24.2008 - Plasma Bullets Trigger Northern Lights
Solar Weather: Researchers have discovered what powers brilliant outbursts of Northern Lights: gigantic plasma bullets launched toward Earth by explosions 1/3rd of the way to the Moon.
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7.22.2008 - The 2008 Perseid Meteor Shower
Looking Up: The 2008 Perseid meteor shower peaks during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th, and forecasters say it should be a good show.
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7.18.2008 - NASA Works to Improve Short-term Weather Forecasts
Weather & Climate: NASA scientists are using an infra-red sounder in space to improve short-term weather forecasting.
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7.11.2008 - What's Wrong with the Sun?
Space Weather: The sun is entering its 3rd year of eerie calm. Sunspots are rare and solar flares simply aren't happening. Is this "solar minimum" lasting longer than it should? A NASA scientist has examined centuries of sunspot data to find the answer.
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7.9.2008 - A Telescope Made of Moondust
Astronomy: Mix moondust with epoxy, add a dash of carbon nanotubes, and spin. The result? A parabolic mirror perfectly suited for a lunar observatory. A NASA scientist has discovered this new recipe for making telescopes out of moondust, and to prove it works he has spun a "moondust mirror" here on Earth.
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7.3.2008 - New Discoveries at Mercury
Planetary Exploration: Mercury's magnetic field is "alive." Volcanic vents ring the planet's giant Caloris basin while the planet itself is surrounded by a plasma nebula of unexpected complexity.
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7.1.2008 - Planets Align for the 4th of July
Looking Up: Look beyond the fireworks on 4th of July weekend. A trio of worlds is converging for a pretty sunset sky show.
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6.30.2008 - The Tunguska Impact--100 Years Later
Asteroids: One hundred years after the Tunguska event in Siberia, scientists review what they've learned about the mysterious blast from the heavens.
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6.26.2008 - NASA to Attempt Historic Solar Sail Deployment
Space Transportation: This summer, NASA engineers will try to realize a dream older than the Space Age itself: the deployment of a working solar sail in Earth orbit. The name of the device is NanoSail-D and it is scheduled for launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket as early as July 29, 2008.
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6.20.2008 - Apollo Relic Reveals its Secrets
The Moon: In 1967, Surveyor 3 landed on the Moon. Two years later, Apollo astronauts visited the little unmanned spacecraft and brought pieces of it home to Earth. Now, a portion of Surveyor's robotic arm, the scoop it used to sample moondust, is teaching researchers some long-lost secrets.
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6.16.2008 - Solstice Moon Illusion
The Moon: Sometimes you just can't believe your eyes. This week is one of those times. Check out the full Moon on June 18th and prepare to be deceived!
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6.11.2008 - NASA's Newest Space Telescope Blasts Off
Gamma-Ray Astronomy: NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope left Earth today onboard a Delta II rocket. "The entire GLAST Team is elated," reports program manager Kevin Grady of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "The observatory is now on-orbit and all systems continue to operate as planned."
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6.10.2008 - NASA Plans to Visit the Sun
Space Weather: NASA has a daring new mission on the drawing board: Solar Probe Plus, a spacecraft tough enough to visit the sun itself.
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5.29.2008 - Strange Ring Found Circling Dead Star
Astrophysics: NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has found a bizarre ring of material around the magnetic remains of a star that blasted itself to smithereens. Although rings and spheres of material are common in the universe, this one is not like any ring astronomers have ever seen before.
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5.27.2008 - Cartwheel Coronal Mass Ejection
Space Weather: Imagine a billion-ton cloud of gas launching itself off the surface of the sun and then ... doing a cartwheel. That's exactly what happened on April 9, 2008, when a coronal mass ejection or "CME" pirouetted over the sun's limb in full view of an international fleet of spacecraft.
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5.25.2008 - Phoenix Lands on Mars
Mars Exploration: NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars Sunday to begin three months of examining a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the lander's robotic arm.
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5.22.2008 - Lunar GRAIL
The Moon: Gravitationally speaking, the moon is a strange place. Satellites in lunar orbit feel odd, sideways tugs and end up nose down in the moondust. Astronauts standing in the middle of lunar lava seas weigh more than they do standing on the shore. A new NASA mission named GRAIL aims to map the moon's quirky gravity field and thus pave the way for future exploration.
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5.21.2008 - 100 Explosions on the Moon
The Moon: In 2005, NASA astronomers began watching the Moon to see how often meteoroids crashed into the lunar surface. They've just video-taped their 100th explosion.
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5.14.2008 - Galactic Hunt Bags Missing Supernova
Supernovas: At long last, astronomers have found one of the Milky Way's mysteriously missing supernovas.
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5.13.2008 - Phoenix Set to Land on Mars
Mars Exploration: NASA's Phoenix lander is getting ready to touch down on Mars and begin an unprecedented investigation of the Red Planet's arctic realm.
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5.9.2008 - Space Station Tricorder
International Space Station: Astronauts are using a Star Trek tricorder-like device to keep track of microscopic life forms onboard the International Space Station.
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5.8.2008 - Planets by the Dozen
Extra-solar Planets: A NASA-funded survey set to begin in 2008 could dramatically increase the number of known planets outside our solar system.
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5.6.2008 - A Super Solar Flare
Solar Weather: In September 1859, a solar flare erupted so intense that the explosion itself was visible to the human eye. A ferocious geomagnetic storm ensued in which Northern Lights descended as far south as Cuba, the Bahamas and Hawaii. Meanwhile, telegraph engineers disconnected their batteries and powered communications by electricity from the auroras! Could it happen again?
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4.30.2008 - Explore the Ionosphere (from the safety of your own home)
Solar Weather: Today, NASA-funded researchers released to the general public a new "4D" live model of Earth's ionosphere. Without leaving home, anyone can now fly through the layer of ionized gas that encircles Earth at the edge of space itself.
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4.25.2008 - The Physics of Whipped Cream
Microgravity Research: An experiment in space has shed new light on the puzzling physics of some everyday substances such as blood, ketchup, motor oil and whipped cream.
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4.21.2008 - Moondust and Duct Tape
The Moon: Going to the Moon? Don't forget your duct tape. Thirty-six years ago when Apollo 17 astronauts found themselves a quarter million miles from home with a damaged moonbuggy, a roll of "good old fashioned American gray tape" saved the day.
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4.17.2008 - Earth's Magnetic Field Does Strange Things to the Moon
The Moon: NASA-supported researchers have realized that strange things may be happening on the full Moon when it gets hit by Earth's magnetic tail.
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4.10.2008 - Moondust in the Wind
The Moon: Unlike Earth, the firmament of the moon is directly exposed to charged particles from the sun. What happens to moondust under the onslaught of solar wind? Researchers in a NASA-supported lab are finding some surprising answers.
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4.7.2008 - The 2008 Great Moonbuggy Race
Moon Buggy Race: Contestants in NASA's 15th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race have crossed the finish line. And the winner is.... Read today's story to find out who crashed and who triumphed in the adventurous competition.
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4.4.2008 - Crescent Moon Alert
Looking Up: A crescent moon of perilous beauty is about to appear in the evening sky. The best night to look is Tuesday, April 8th, when the moon joins the Pleiades star cluster for a must-see conjunction.
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3.28.2008 - Old Solar Cycle Returns
Space Weather: Three months ago, a new solar cycle began. This week, however, the sun surprised onlookers with three big sunspots from the previous solar cycle. Strangely enough, this is perfectly normal.
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3.27.2008 - Crafty Tricks for Finding Moon Water
The Moon: NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will play some crafty tricks to find water on the moon, such as using starlight to see into deep, dark craters and checking the temperature with a scientific device known as "Diviner."
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3.21.2008 - Naked-eye Gamma Ray Burst
Gamma-ray Bursts: Two nights ago, astronomers observed a cosmic explosion so intense it was visible to the naked eye from a distance of 7.5 billion light years.
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3.20.2008 - Spring is Aurora Season
Space Weather: For reasons not fully understood by scientists, the weeks around the vernal equinox are prone to Northern Lights.
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3.19.2008 - Gravity Waves Make Tornadoes
Earth Science: New research by NASA-supported scientists shows how atmospheric gravity waves, the kind we often see rippling in clouds overhead, can hit a thunderstorm and turn it into a deadly tornado.
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3.18.2008 - The Vanishing Rings of Saturn
Looking Up: Amateur astronomers around the world have noticed, something is happening to Saturn. The planet's rings are rapidly narrowing and, if this continues, before long they'll be just a wafer-thin line almost invisible to backyard telescopes.
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3.12.2008 - Women Drivers on Mars
Mars Exploration: To celebrate Women's History Month, an all-female team of scientists and engineers has taken control of Mars rover Spirit.
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3.7.2008 - Dark Halos Discovered on Mercury
Planetary Exploration: The surprises continue. Scientists studying the harvest of photos from MESSENGER's Jan. 14th flyby of Mercury have found several craters with strange dark halos and one crater with a spectacularly shiny bottom.
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3.6.2008 - Auroras in Broad Daylight
Space Weather: Imagine living on a planet where Northern Lights fill the heavens at all hours of the day. Around the clock, even in broad daylight, luminous curtains shimmer and ripple across the sky. News flash: Astronomers have discovered such a planet. Its name is Earth.
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3.3.2008 - Avalanches on Mars
Mars Exploration: A NASA spacecraft in orbit around Mars has taken the first ever image of active avalanches near the Red Planet's north pole.
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2.29.2008 - New Radar Maps of the Moon
The Moon: New high-resolution radar maps of the Moon's south pole reveal a fantastic land with peaks as high as Mt. McKinley and crater floors four times deeper than the Grand Canyon.
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2.20.2008 - Who's Orbiting the Moon?
The Moon: Do you know who's orbiting the moon? The answer might surprise you. Find out in today's story from Science@NASA.
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2.13.2008 - Total Lunar Eclipse
Looking Up: On Wednesday evening, February 20th, the full Moon over the Americas will turn a delightful shade of red and possibly turquoise, too. It's a total lunar eclipse - the last one until Dec. 2010.
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2.8.2008 - Name that Space Telescope!
Gamma-Ray Astronomy: NASA is inviting members of the general public from around the world to suggest a new name for the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, otherwise known as GLAST, before it launches in mid-2008.
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2.7.2008 - Extremophile Hunt Begins
Astrobiology: A team of scientists has just set off to explore a strange lake in Antarctica, which may be home to exotic forms of microscopic life.
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1.30.2008 - Surprises from Mercury
Planetary Exploration: NASA's Messenger spacecraft has beamed back some surprising new data from the planet Mercury. Highlights include a weird crater nicknamed "the Spider," a planetary tail of hydrogen atoms, and measurements that show giant Caloris basin is even bigger than researchers thought.
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1.29.2008 - Venus and Jupiter Converge
Looking Up: The two brightest planets are converging for a beautiful close encounter on Friday morning, February 1st.
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1.24.2008 - A Violent History of Time
Gamma-ray Bursts: NASA is preparing to launch a new space telescope named GLAST to study the most violent explosions in the history of our Universe.
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1.21.2008 - Mercury Flyby Sets Stage for New Discoveries
Planetary Exploration: Last week's historic flyby of Mercury by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft gathered 500 megabytes of data and more than a thousand high-resolution photos covering nearly six million square miles of previously unseen terrain.
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1.16.2008 - Radical New Lab Fights Disease Using Satellites
Earth Science: A cutting-edge laboratory has opened in Alabama. Its mission: to combat diseases ranging from asthma to malaria to stroke using data from NASA satellites. Space scientists and public health officials are working together to train the doctors of tomorrow in this far-out approach to medicine.
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1.15.2008 - Exploring the Cosmos in Braille
Astronomy: Images from NASA telescopes are jewels of the space program, marvelous to behold. But how do you behold them when you can't see? The answer lies between the covers of a new NASA-funded book written in Braille, Touch the Invisible Sky.
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1.14.2008 - Ulysses Flyby of the Sun's North Pole
Space Weather: At a pivotal moment of the solar cycle, the NASA/ESA Ulysses spacecraft is flying over the sun's mysterious North Pole.
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1.10.2008 - Solar Cycle 24 Begins
Space Weather: Hang on to your cell phones, a new solar cycle is underway. Solar Cycle 24 began last week with the appearance of a magnetically "backward" high-latitude sunspot.
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