Archive for 2009

To keep warming low, deeper pollution cuts needed
April 30, 2009
News and Features To keep warming low, deeper pollution cuts needed

If the world is going to limit global warming to just a few degrees, it has to slash carbon dioxide pollution much more than now being discussed, two new science studies say.

NASA sites nominated for Webby Awards!
April 30, 2009
News and Features NASA sites nominated for Webby Awards!

NASA.gov has been nominated for an award in the Government category and the Cassini Web Site has been nominated for an award in the Science category. Cast your vote today!

Earth Observatory's Top 10 Images of the Day
April 30, 2009
News and Features Earth Observatory's Top 10 Images of the Day

In the past decade, the Earth Observatory has published thousands of images. Those images are a history of Earth events, places, and discoveries that intrigued us—and that we thought might intrigue our readers. To commemorate the Earth Observatory's 10th anniversary in April 2009, we asked our readers to tell us which images were their favorites. Here are their top ten.

Starbursts from Dwarf Galaxies Like Fireworks
April 30, 2009
News and Features Starbursts from Dwarf Galaxies Like Fireworks

Astronomers are comparing “starbursts” from a galaxy that is in the throes of star formation to a Fourth of July fireworks display.

Focused on Phobos
April 30, 2009
News and Features Focused on Phobos

Mars has two tiny asteroid-like moons, Phobos and Deimos. The moons have not been the focus of Mars studies, but there are several missions in the planning stages that aim to change that.

NASA sites honored with Webby Awards!
April 29, 2009
News and Features NASA sites honored with Webby Awards!

JPL's Global Climate Change: NASA's Eyes on the Earth and the NASA Astrobiology Institute were both honored with Webby Awards in the Science category.

Antarctic ice shelf crumbling into icebergs
April 29, 2009
News and Features Antarctic ice shelf crumbling into icebergs

A massive Antarctic ice shelf is breaking up and pieces are expected to float away as icebergs over the course of the next few weeks.

Rogue Black Holes May Wander the Galaxy
April 29, 2009
News and Features Rogue Black Holes May Wander the Galaxy

Astrophysicists Ryan O’Leary and Avi Loeb say that rogue black holes originally lurked at the centers of tiny, low-mass galaxies. Over billions of years, those dwarf galaxies smashed together to form full-sized galaxies like the Milky Way.

Urbanization of Dubai
April 29, 2009
News and Features Urbanization of Dubai

April 29, 2009, marks the Earth Observatory’s tenth anniversary. In the past decade, NASA satellites have observed myriad changes in our planet, both natural and human-made.

SDO Spins Its Way Closer to Launch
April 29, 2009
News and Features SDO Spins Its Way Closer to Launch

For three days, SDO sat on a slowly spinning "Miller Table" in the Spacecraft Checkout and Integration Area, a "clean room" at Goddard.

Latest from Saturn: Pastel Rings and Moons by the Bunch
April 29, 2009
News and Features Latest from Saturn: Pastel Rings and Moons by the Bunch

The latest images from the Cassini spacecraft include this gorgeous natural color view of Saturn’s inner rings.

Swine flu and dirty air: how NASA satellites and health programs could help save your life
April 28, 2009
News and Features Swine flu and dirty air: how NASA satellites and health programs could help save your life

As panic over a swine flu pandemic builds, silent sentries patrol overhead, a benefit of the space program that often isn't as well-known as the space station and space shuttle launches. NASA uses satellites to monitor not only the Earth's environment, but developing health crises as well.

New Gamma-Ray Burst Smashes Cosmic Distance Record
April 28, 2009
News and Features New Gamma-Ray Burst Smashes Cosmic Distance Record

A gamma-ray burst detected by NASA's Swift satellite has smashed the previous distance record for the most powerful explosions in the Universe. Researchers are calling it 'an incredible find' and a 'true blast from the past.'

The Case of the Missing Planets: Are Stars Eating Their Young?
April 28, 2009
News and Features The Case of the Missing Planets: Are Stars Eating Their Young?

A new era on astronomy began in 1995 when the first extrasolar planet was detected. To date, 346 planets have been found orbiting stars other than our sun...

New Blow for Asteroid-Extinction Theory
April 28, 2009
News and Features New Blow for Asteroid-Extinction Theory

Scientists have long believed that the Chicxulub crater in the northern Yucutan was evidence of a massive, extra-terrestrial impact that signaled the end of the dinosaurs. A new study indicates that this may not be the case. In fact, the dinosaurs may not have gone extinct until 300,000 years after the impact.

Space missions to visit the sun
April 27, 2009
News and Features Space missions to visit the sun

Two space probes are to be sent to explore the Sun, in an attempt to get closer to the centre of the star than any previous mission.

Exoplanets Exposed to the Core
April 27, 2009
News and Features Exoplanets Exposed to the Core

Astronomers have determined that giant exoplanets orbiting close to their stars could lose so much of their mass that only their cores remain.

Mars Express Spies Rocky, Chaotic Terrain on Mars
April 27, 2009
News and Features Mars Express Spies Rocky, Chaotic Terrain on Mars

Mars has several regions of what is called ‘chaotic terrain’. These are areas with large accumulations of rocks of varying sizes, as well as flat-topped features.

Differential elemental ablation of micrometeoroids
April 27, 2009
News and Features Differential elemental ablation of micrometeoroids

Space is not empty. This close to a star like the Sun, even after billions of years, space is filled with junk. Tiny bits of rock, ice, and metal are everywhere, the leftover shrapnel from asteroid collisions, or detritus sloughed off of comets. Every day, the Earth plows through many tons of such material, which mostly burns up in our atmosphere.

NASA Will Try to Launch Hubble Repair Mission Early
April 24, 2009
News and Features NASA Will Try to Launch Hubble Repair Mission Early

Mission managers for the upcoming Hubble repair mission are considering moving the launch of space shuttle Atlantis up one day to May 11.

Hubble's Hottest Science Finds
April 24, 2009
News and Features Hubble's Hottest Science Finds

Whirling around Earth at 17,500 miles (28,163 kilometers) an hour, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured some of the most detailed pictures yet of space objects and activities.

Continent-sized Radio Telescope Takes Close-ups of Fermi Active Galaxies
April 24, 2009
News and Features Continent-sized Radio Telescope Takes Close-ups of Fermi Active Galaxies

An international team of astronomers has used the world’s biggest radio telescope to look deep into the brightest galaxies that NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope can see.

The Blurry Summit of Mars’ Pavonis Mons
April 24, 2009
News and Features The Blurry Summit of Mars’ Pavonis Mons

This strange image was captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on board NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on April 11th.

Moon Dust Rises with the Sun
April 24, 2009
News and Features Moon Dust Rises with the Sun

By revisiting data from the Apollo missions, researchers have gained new insight into the behavior of lunar dust. The very fine and sticky nature of dust on the moon could cause problems for future human missions. Lunar dust can coat and damage equipment, and poses health risks for astronauts who breathe it in.

'Dark Gulping' Could Explain Black Holes
April 23, 2009
News and Features 'Dark Gulping' Could Explain Black Holes

"Dark gulping" is a new hypothesis about how giant black holes might have formed from collapsing dark matter.

Double Discovery: Super-Earth and Ocean World
April 23, 2009
News and Features Double Discovery: Super-Earth and Ocean World

Planet hunter Michel Mayor and his team have made two amazing discoveries regarding the Gliese 581 solar system. This star is orbited by the lightest exoplanet ever found, less than twice the mass of the Earth. One of the other planets in this system, a super-Earth, orbits within the star’s habitable zone. These new discoveries indicate astronomers may have found a solar system where alien life is possible.

Are imaged planets really failed stars?
April 23, 2009
News and Features Are imaged planets really failed stars?

Most of the images of exoplanets released towards the end of 2008 may not be planets at all, according to new research presented at the National Astronomy Meeting being held during the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science at the University of Hertfordshire.

NASA Puts the Right Stuff in the Right Hands
April 23, 2009
News and Features NASA Puts the Right Stuff in the Right Hands

All research and no application makes data a dull toy. NASA's SPoRT program brings data to life by putting it in the hands of people who can use it best--the National Weather Service forecasters who send us scurrying for cover when severe weather looms.

Celebrate Earth Day!
April 22, 2009
News and Features Celebrate Earth Day!

Earth Day, April 22, is the annual celebration of the environment and a time to assess the work still needed to protect the natural gifts of our planet.

Do We Need a New Theory of Gravitation?
April 22, 2009
News and Features Do We Need a New Theory of Gravitation?

A group of physicists say that the distribution of satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way, as well as the apparent dark matter within them, presents a direct challenge to Newton’s theory of gravitation, as the galaxies are not where they should be.

Without the Moon, Would There Be Life on Earth?
April 22, 2009
News and Features Without the Moon, Would There Be Life on Earth?

By driving the tides, our lunar companion may have jump-started biology--or at least accelerated its progression.

Despite Global Warming, Wildfire Frequency Does Not Increase
April 22, 2009
News and Features Despite Global Warming, Wildfire Frequency Does Not Increase

As global average temperatures rise, it is widely believed the frequency of wildfires will increase. However, this may not be the case.

Why Antarctic ice is growing despite global warming
April 21, 2009
News and Features Why Antarctic ice is growing despite global warming

It's the southern ozone hole whatdunit. That's why Antarctic sea ice is growing while at the other pole, Arctic ice is shrinking at record rates. It seems CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals have given the South Pole respite from global warming.

NASA Earth Day Celebration, The Combining of Art and Science
April 21, 2009
News and Features NASA Earth Day Celebration, The Combining of Art and Science

Bella Gaia, which means “beautiful Earth”, is a one-of-a-kind multimedia journey of Earth from space that has been developed by NASA's Digital Learning Network.

Could There Be a Planet Hidden on the Opposite Side of our Sun?
April 21, 2009
News and Features Could There Be a Planet Hidden on the Opposite Side of our Sun?

The sun might seem like a pretty huge galactic blind spot, but we've already managed to glimpse behind it...

Hubble Immortalizes Itself With New Image: “Fountain of Youth”
April 21, 2009
News and Features Hubble Immortalizes Itself With New Image: “Fountain of Youth”

To commemorate the Hubble Space Telescope’s 19 years in space, the ESA and NASA have released an image of a celestial celebration.

Sea Ice
April 21, 2009
News and Features Sea Ice

Sea ice is frozen seawater that floats on the ocean surface. It forms in both the Arctic and the Antarctic in each hemisphere’s winter, and it retreats, but does not completely disappear, in the summer.

Life at Blood Falls
April 21, 2009
News and Features Life at Blood Falls

Researchers have discovered unusual microorganisms living in ancient water buried beneath an Antarctic glacier. The microbes could help us understand how life adapts to survive in extreme conditions. They may also provide clues about how life could survive on other locations in our solar system, such as Europa.

Climate change could mean a walk in the Arctic woods
April 20, 2009
News and Features Climate change could mean a walk in the Arctic woods

While global warming is expected to endanger most of the globe's woodlands, trees may prosper in Canada's Far North, scientists say.

Earth Day 2009
April 20, 2009
News and Features Earth Day 2009

Join NASA as we celebrate Earth Day and share our unique perspective, observing the home planet from space.

Mars Spacecraft Teams on Alert for Dust-Storm Season
April 20, 2009
News and Features Mars Spacecraft Teams on Alert for Dust-Storm Season

Heading into a period of the Martian year prone to major dust storms, the team operating NASA's twin Mars rovers is taking advantage of eye-in-the-sky weather reports.

Ancient Solar Systems Found Around Dead Stars
April 20, 2009
News and Features Ancient Solar Systems Found Around Dead Stars

Were there once habitable planets long ago around stars that are now dead? A team of astronomers have found evidence that between 1-3 percent of white dwarf stars are orbited by rocky planets and asteroids, suggesting these objects once hosted solar systems similar to our own.

Sedimentary Rocks Speak of Sulfur
April 20, 2009
News and Features Sedimentary Rocks Speak of Sulfur

Sedimentary rocks that are 2.4 billion years old may indicate that the early atmosphere of Earth was oxygen-rich. The strongest evidence for an oxygen-poor atmosphere on the early Earth has now been brought into question.

Venus Disappears During Meteor Shower
April 17, 2009
News and Features Venus Disappears During Meteor Shower

A meteor shower. A crescent Moon. A disappearing planet. These three things will be on display next Wednesday, April 22nd, when the Moon occults Venus during the annual Lyrid meteor shower.

NASA's Kepler Captures First Views of Planet-Hunting Territory
April 17, 2009
News and Features NASA's Kepler Captures First Views of Planet-Hunting Territory

NASA's Kepler mission has taken its first images of the star-rich sky where it will soon begin hunting for planets like Earth.

NASA to restore Wallops shoreline in $45M project
April 17, 2009
News and Features

NASA is undertaking a $45 million project to protect over $1 billion of government assets on Wallops Island by restoring the island’s shoreline, which is eroding at the rate of about 10 feet a year.

Weekend SkyWatcher’s Forecast - April 17-19, 2009
April 17, 2009
News and Features Weekend SkyWatcher’s Forecast - April 17-19, 2009

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Are you ready for a much darker weekend?

LRO to Help Astronauts Survive in Infinity
April 17, 2009
News and Features LRO to Help Astronauts Survive in Infinity

On the moon we will develop technologies to survive in space, because the moon presents the same challenges we will encounter throughout the universe.

A Cosmic Free-for-All
April 16, 2009
News and Features A Cosmic Free-for-All

The most crowded collision of galaxy clusters has been identified by three different telescopes.

FIRST Championship Ignites Students' Scientific Savvy
April 16, 2009
News and Features FIRST Championship Ignites Students' Scientific Savvy

More than 10,000 students from 28 countries and 533 custom-built robots will swarm Atlanta's Georgia Dome, April 16-18, to compete in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Championship, and discover the excitement of science and technology.

Destination: Ceres!
April 16, 2009
News and Features Destination: Ceres!

Plans are being drawn up for a low-cost mission to land on the dwarf planet Ceres. Known as the Ceres Polar Lander, it would examine polar regions and search for alien organisms.

Black hole jet brightens mysteriously
April 16, 2009
News and Features Black hole jet brightens mysteriously

A knot in a jet of matter streaming out of a nearby galaxy has brightened mysteriously over a period of several years, newly released Hubble Space Telescope images reveal.

Bridge Between the Stars - NGC 602: Hubble Visualization by Jukka Metsavainio
April 16, 2009
News and Features Bridge Between the Stars - NGC 602: Hubble Visualization by Jukka Metsavainio

For those of you who have missed our very special dimensional looks into the Cosmos, then it’s high time we let our minds and eyes relax and we take a 200 thousand light-year distant journey towards the edge of the Small Magellanic Cloud for a look at a bright, young open cluster of stars known as NGC 602…

Star crust is 10 billion times stronger than steel
April 15, 2009
News and Features Star crust is 10 billion times stronger than steel

The crust of neutron stars is 10 billion times stronger than steel, according to new simulations. That makes the surface of these ultra-dense stars tough enough to support long-lived bulges that could produce gravitational waves detectable by experiments on Earth.

Black Hole Creates Spectacular Light Show
April 15, 2009
News and Features Black Hole Creates Spectacular Light Show

For seven years the Hubble Space Telescope has been watching the jet, which pours out of the supermassive black hole in the center of the M87 galaxy. It has photographed the strange phenomenon fading and then brightening, with a peak that even outshines M87's brilliant core.

Major Utility Company Makes Agreement for Space Based Solar Power
April 15, 2009
News and Features Major Utility Company Makes Agreement for Space Based Solar Power

One of the largest utility companies in the US has decided to look towards space to find more power.

The Surprising Shape of Solar Storms
April 15, 2009
News and Features The Surprising Shape of Solar Storms

For the first time, NASA spacecraft have traced the 3D shape of solar storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). It turns out the most ferocious storms resemble something from a French bakery.

Incredible Light Show: Gas Jet Flaring From M87’s Black Hole
April 14, 2009
News and Features Incredible Light Show: Gas Jet Flaring From M87’s Black Hole

The Hubble Space Telescope has been keeping an eye on the very active galaxy M87 for years, and has now captured a flare-up in a jet of matter blasting from the galaxy’s monster black hole.

Eruption on Isla Fernandina
April 14, 2009
News and Features Eruption on Isla Fernandina

In early April 2009, La Cumbre Volcano on Isla Fernandina in the Galapagos Islands erupted. On April 11, 2009, authorities at the Galapagos National Park reported that the volcano was releasing both lava flows and volcanic ash plumes.

Spirit Healthy But Computer Reboots Raise Concerns
April 14, 2009
News and Features Spirit Healthy But Computer Reboots Raise Concerns

The team operating NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is examining data received from Spirit in recent days to diagnose why the rover apparently rebooted its computer at least twice over the April 11-12 weekend.

Generating Giant Galaxies
April 14, 2009
News and Features Generating Giant Galaxies

A new finding indicates that not all massive, luminous galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang. The study could yield new information about the origin and evolution of galaxies.

Incoming Asteroid Under Close Watch
April 14, 2009
News and Features Incoming Asteroid Under Close Watch

Exactly 20 years from today, an asteroid about the size of a 25-story building will come closer to Earth than the networks of communications satellites orbiting the planet.

NASA Heads up Mt. Everest
April 13, 2009
News and Features NASA Heads up Mt. Everest

NASA researchers are about to climb the slopes of Earth's tallest mountain to test exploration technologies they'll need on the Moon and Mars.

Cassini’s Indirect Image of Boulders and Moonlets in Saturn’s Rings
April 13, 2009
News and Features Cassini’s Indirect Image of Boulders and Moonlets in Saturn’s Rings

Because Saturn is approaching its equinox, in August the rings will “disappear” from our view from Earth, as the rings will be exactly edge-on. But as the rings ease into alignment with the sun, Saturn’s moons cast their shadows across the rings, growing longer as equinox approaches.

Blasting for Ice on Mars
April 13, 2009
News and Features Blasting for Ice on Mars

The Phoenix lander has given scientists a close look at the ice in one spot high in the martian arctic, but researchers have also been surveying fresh craters across the planet for signs of frozen water.

Experiment May Help Forecast Deadly Cyclones
April 13, 2009
News and Features Experiment May Help Forecast Deadly Cyclones

NASA satellite data and a new modeling approach could improve weather forecasting and save more lives when future cyclones develop.

The Moon in Stereo
April 13, 2009
News and Features The Moon in Stereo

Two identical NASA spacecraft are entering a location in space where the gravity of the sun and Earth combine to form gravitational wells where asteroids gather. These points could hold asteroids left over from a Mars-sized planet that formed billions of years ago, and then collided with the Earth to form our moon.

Aerosols Could Be Responsible For Arctic Warming
April 10, 2009
News and Features Aerosols Could Be Responsible For Arctic Warming

Since the 1890s, surface temperatures on Earth have risen faster in the Arctic than in other regions of the world. NASA research suggests about half the atmospheric warming measured in the Arctic is due to airborne particles called aerosols.

Spacecraft Searching for Remains of Mystery Planet
April 10, 2009
News and Features Spacecraft Searching for Remains of Mystery Planet

How did our Moon form? The leading hypothesis, the Giant Impact Theory, proposes that in the formative years of the Solar System, a Mars-sized protoplanet crashed into Earth.

Shining Earth's Mirror
April 10, 2009
News and Features Shining Earth's Mirror

Scientists have shown that variations in earthshine – the reflection of light from the Earth's land masses and oceans – can be viewed on the dark side of the moon. The study may help astronomers search for habitable, earth-like planets around distant stars.

Is dark energy getting weaker?
April 10, 2009
News and Features Is dark energy getting weaker?

AFTER billions of years of runaway expansion, is the universe starting to slow down? A new analysis of nearby supernovae suggests space might not be expanding as quickly as it once was, a tantalising hint that the source of dark energy may be more exotic than we thought.

FEATURE STEREO Hunts for Remains of an Ancient Planet near Earth
April 10, 2009
News and Features FEATURE STEREO Hunts for Remains of an Ancient Planet near Earth

NASA's twin STEREO probes are entering a mysterious region of space to look for remains of an ancient planet which once orbited the Sun not far from Earth. If they find anything, it could solve a major puzzle--the origin of the Moon.

NASA seeks high data rate transmitter for earthquake prediction satellite
April 09, 2009
News and Features NASA seeks high data rate transmitter for earthquake prediction satellite

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., is looking for a high data rate transmitter for an Earth-orbiting satellite designed to predict earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.

Cover Taken Off Planet-Hunting Telescope
April 09, 2009
News and Features Cover Taken Off Planet-Hunting Telescope

NASA's planet hunting Kepler telescope launched March 6. Before it can find planets, its protective dust cover had to be jettisoned. that has been done, NASA announced yesterday.

Aerosols May Drive a Significant Portion of Arctic Warming
April 09, 2009
News and Features Aerosols May Drive a Significant Portion of Arctic Warming

Greenhouse gases are at the center of discussions about global climate change, but new research suggests that much of the warming observed in the Arctic since 1976 may be due to changes in tiny airborne particles called aerosols.

Living with a Red Dwarf
April 09, 2009
News and Features Living with a Red Dwarf

Not astrobiologists' first choice, red dwarf stars have now gained acceptance as potential hosts for habitable planets. They may not be great to live by in the first couple billion years, but they eventually settle down into relatively pleasant stars.

Beyond Apollo: Moon Tech Takes a Giant Leap
April 09, 2009
News and Features Beyond Apollo: Moon Tech Takes a Giant Leap

1960s technology worked for the Apollo program, but next-generation lunar explorers are going to need an upgrade. NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program is working on new and improved tools for NASA's return to the Moon.

Better Living Through Chemistry
April 08, 2009
News and Features Better Living Through Chemistry

Extreme Life A new study on the harsh environment of deep-sea mud volcanoes is shedding light on how life might have survived on the early Earth, or could survive on other planets. The study was performed in the Gulf of Mexico where seafloor vents spew mud, oil, brine and gases that support life independent from the energy of the sun.

Would Life Form Differently Around Cool Stars?
April 08, 2009
News and Features Would Life Form Differently Around Cool Stars?

A new study from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope hints that planets around stars cooler than our sun might possess a different mix of potentially life-forming, or “prebiotic,” chemicals.

Giant mass of Antarctic ice 'set for collapse'
April 08, 2009
News and Features

A mass of Antarctic ice larger in area than Connecticut is in "imminent" danger of breaking up, according to scientists from the European Space Agency.

New Collection of Flythough Videos From HiRISE
April 08, 2009
News and Features New Collection of Flythough Videos From HiRISE

There’s a new collection of Mars flythrough video clips from the folks over at the HiRISE website, and they are fabulous!

Humans and Aliens Might Share DNA Pattern
April 08, 2009
News and Features Humans and Aliens Might Share DNA Pattern

The building blocks of life may be more than merely common in the cosmos. Humans and aliens could share a common genetic foundation. That's the tantalizing implication of a pattern found in the formation of amino acids in meteorites, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and simulations of primordial Earth.

Titan's Topsy-Turvy Topography
April 07, 2009
News and Features Titan's Topsy-Turvy Topography

Researchers are making surprising new discoveries about Saturn’s moon, Titan. The discoveries include the detection of a potential subterranean ocean of hydrocarbons and unique observations of Titan’s topsy-turvy topography.

Black Holes Caught in Tug-of-War
April 07, 2009
News and Features Black Holes Caught in Tug-of-War

Supermassive black holes that pack the heft of billions of suns have the capacity to regulate their energy during a tug-of-war with a hot radiation wind that blows in from their debris disks.

Noisy NEAs
April 07, 2009
News and Features Noisy NEAs

The upcoming LISA satellite mission is designed to help scientists see warping of the space/time continuum. However, the NASA/ESA mission may also be used by astrobiologists to study the frequency and mass of near-Earth asteroids.

50th Anniversary of NASA’s First Astronauts
April 07, 2009
News and Features 50th Anniversary of NASA’s First Astronauts

his week marks the 50th anniversary of the “Mercury Seven;” NASA’s first seven astronauts.

NASA Aerospace Engineer Helps Students Learn Physics Using Baseball
April 07, 2009
News and Features NASA Aerospace Engineer Helps Students Learn Physics Using Baseball

NASA is known for launching rockets and exploring the universe, but some rocket scientists and aerospace engineers love to solve down-to-earth problems too.

NASA Astronaut Tweets Provide Inside Look at Mission Training
April 07, 2009
Press Releases

NASA astronaut Mike Massimino is using Twitter to provide a unique, behind the scenes peek at the last weeks of his training for the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

Mt. Redoubt Gives Alaskans a Taste of the Moon
April 06, 2009
News and Features Mt. Redoubt Gives Alaskans a Taste of the Moon

By coating the countryside with gritty, abrasive, electrostatically-charged volcanic ash, Mt. Redoubt is giving Alaskans an unexpected taste of what it's like to live on the Moon.

Expedition 19 Takes Command of Station; Expedition 18 to Land Wednesday
April 06, 2009
News and Features Expedition 19 Takes Command of Station; Expedition 18 to Land Wednesday

With the traditional Change-of-Command ceremony on Thursday, Commander Mike Fincke officially handed over control of the station to Expedition 19 Commander Gennady Padalka.

Satellite Images Depict Thinning Arctic Ice
April 06, 2009
News and Features Satellite Images Depict Thinning Arctic Ice

The decade-long trend of shrinking sea-ice cover is continuing, according to satellite imagery.

Discover NASA’s Breathtaking Images of Earth
April 03, 2009
News and Features Discover NASA’s Breathtaking Images of Earth

Join NASA as we celebrate Earth Day and share our unique perspective, observing the home planet from space.

2009 Great Moonbuggy Race
April 03, 2009
News and Features 2009 Great Moonbuggy Race

Racers Get Ready! NASA's Off-world Racing Begins April 3 at 16th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race

Astronomers Compile Most Detailed Map of Nearby Universe
April 03, 2009
News and Features Astronomers Compile Most Detailed Map of Nearby Universe

A new detailed map of the nearby Universe reveals not only where local galaxies are currently, but where they are heading, how fast and why.

NASA Joins 'Around the World in 80 Telescopes'
April 03, 2009
News and Features NASA Joins 'Around the World in 80 Telescopes'

A collection of NASA missions will be involved in a live event Friday, April 3, that will allow the public to get an inside look at how these missions are run. "Around the World in 80 Telescopes" is a 24-hour webcast that is part of the "100 Hours of Astronomy" event for the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

Great Blue Hole, Belize
April 03, 2009
News and Features Great Blue Hole, Belize

Surrounded by darker, deeper ocean waters, coral atolls often glow in vibrant hues of turquoise, teal, peacock blue, or aquamarine.

NASA Science Celebrates Earth Day!
April 02, 2009
News and Features NASA Science Celebrates Earth Day!

Hubble Finds Hidden Exoplanet in Archival Data
April 02, 2009
News and Features Hubble Finds Hidden Exoplanet in Archival Data

A powerful image-processing technique may allow astronomers to discover extrasolar planets lurking in over a decade's worth of Hubble Space Telescope archival data.

Life Out of the Tropics
April 02, 2009
News and Features Life Out of the Tropics

The diversity of life on Earth is concentrated near the equator, with a steep falloff towards the poles. A recent study finds this is because new species tend to form in the tropics and then migrate out. This historical pattern might point to a fundamental property of life.

STS-125: Mission to Service the Hubble Telescope
April 02, 2009
News and Features STS-125: Mission to Service the Hubble Telescope

Atlantis' crew conducts equipment and procedure familiarization training in preparation for the mission to service Hubble Space Telescope.

Why Does Fargo Flood?
April 02, 2009
News and Features Why Does Fargo Flood?

The Red River of the North has a long history of severe floods.

How Low Can It Go? Sun Plunges into the Quietest Solar Minimum in a Century
April 02, 2009
News and Features How Low Can It Go? Sun Plunges into the Quietest Solar Minimum in a Century

The sunspot cycle is behaving a little like the stock market. Just when you think it has hit bottom, it goes even lower.

Crew of Six Begins 105-day Mars Mission Simulation
April 01, 2009
News and Features Crew of Six Begins 105-day Mars Mission Simulation

Earlier today in Moscow, six people were locked inside a hermetically sealed living space, where they will remain for the next 105 days.

Bright Soil Churned by Spirit's Sol 1861 Drive
April 01, 2009
News and Features Bright Soil Churned by Spirit's Sol 1861 Drive

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit drove 22.7 meters (74 feet) toward the southwest on the 1,861st Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on Mars (March 28, 2009). After the drive, the rover took this image with its front hazard-avoidance camera, looking back at the tracks from the drive.

100 Hours of Astronomy
April 01, 2009
News and Features 100 Hours of Astronomy

The "100 Hours of Astronomy" is a four-day event designed to bring astronomy to the public around the world during the period April 2-5, 2009.

Permian Polluters
April 01, 2009
News and Features Permian Polluters

At the end of the Permian Age, 250 million years ago, about 90 percent of all animals and plants on land became extinct. Now, a team of scientists has proposed a new theory as to what caused the largest known mass extinction in history, and it all comes down to giant salt lakes.

This Month in Exploration - April
April 01, 2009
News and Features This Month in Exploration - April

Fifty years ago the first American astronauts were selected for Project Mercury. Read more historical facts in This Month in Exploration.

Archive Summary