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Media Information Media inquiries regarding the missions, science or technology covered in this Web site should be directed to Jane Platt, media relations specialist. (818) 354-0880
Spitzer, Hubble capture evolving planetary systems (December 9, 2004) Two of NASA's Great Observatories, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope, have provided astronomers an unprecedented look at dusty planetary debris around stars the size of our Sun. (External press release)
Robots set stage for cosmic choreography (December 3, 2004) Under a velvet black dome studded with sparkling stars, a lone figure glides gracefully, tilting and whirling across a shining floor. Instead of music, however, there's the slight hiss of compressed air.
Astronomers discover new planet in unusual system (November 24, 2004) An international team of astronomers has announced the discovery of new planet orbiting the star HD 202206, bringing to 134 the total number of known extrasolar planets around normal stars. The new planet exists with an unusual system that also contains a brown dwarf, or "failed star."
Science fact or Science fiction? Take the quiz! (November 15, 2004) Here's a short quiz to test your knowledge of what's real and what isn't in the area of space travel and the search for extraterrestrial life.
Spitzer detects ice in planet-forming disc (November 9, 2004) Two new results from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope released today are helping astronomers better understand how stars form out of thick clouds of gas and dust, and how the molecules in those clouds ultimately become planets. (External press release)
Dedication held for Large Binocular Telescope (October 29, 2004) Dedication ceremonies were held in October for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), an innovative observatory that will use a pair of eyes to allow astronomers to see giant planets that today are hidden in the glare of distant stars.
Planetesimals in the beta Pic disc (October 21, 2004) A team of Japanese astronomers using the Subaru telescope has observed evidence of an early extrasolar planetary system in the dust disk of beta Pictoris. (External press release)
Astronomers discover planet building is big mess (October 18, 2004) Planets are built over a long period of massive collisions between rocky bodies as big as mountain ranges, astronomers announced this month.
Keck Interferometer team to make stars 'disappear' (October 8, 2004) The technological magicians at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the W.M. Keck Observatory are a step closer to performing a vanishing act on a cosmic scale.
Race to the impossible: SIM's technology breakthroughs (September 30, 2004) To determine the feasibility of the proposed SIM Planet Finder mission, NASA set forth eight milestones, or technology gates, to be completed in the laboratory before the mission could move forward. Although many outside of NASA considered the goals impossible, all but one have now been achieved, paving the way for a 2009 launch of the most powerful space telescope ever devised.
A conversation with 'Origins' host Neil Tyson (September 22, 2004) Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of the world's most popular lecturers on astronomy, talks about the PBS "Origins" series, public perceptions of science, and the childhood influences that led him to become a scientist and an ambassador to the cosmos.
Scientists discover first of a new class of extrasolar planets (August 31, 2004) Astronomers announced today the first discovery of a new class of planets beyond our solar system about 10 to 20 times the size of Earth - far smaller than any previously detected. The planets make up a new class of Neptune-sized extrasolar planets.
Small telescope finds giant planet (August 24, 2004) Astronomers on Tuesday announced the discovery of the 124th planet outside our Solar System -- and the first to be discovered using a small, 4-inch-diameter telescope. (External press release)
NASA to consider giant planet census (August 19, 2004) A complete census of giant extrasolar planets for all types of stars in our galaxy is among nine projects selected by NASA for further study as possible future mission concepts with its Astronomical Search for Origins Program. Each of the selected studies will have eight months to further develop and refine concepts for missions. (External press release)
Planet survey: Knocking on heaven's door (August 2, 2004) The Milky Way is a big, diverse neighborhood. And if you're hoping to find Earthlike planets that may harbor life, you'll need to figure out a way to narrow the search. That's where the SIM planet finder, scheduled for launch in 2009, comes in.
An 'alien Earth' in Saturn's backyard (June 25, 2004) When the Cassini mission's Huygens probe plunges through the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan, it will provide a glimpse behind the veil of what many astronomers consider the most Earthlike body in our solar system. It may also provide vital clues in NASA's search for habitable planets around other stars.
Astronomers discover orbiting brown dwarf pair (June 19, 2004) Astronomers have announced the discovery of a unique pair of newborn brown dwarfs in orbit around each other. Brown dwarfs are planet-like objects that are too small to ignite hydrogen fusion and shine as stars, yet too big to be considered planets. (External press release)
Scientists directly measure brown dwarf mass (June 15, 2004) An international team of astronomers has measured for the first time the mass of an ultra-cool star and its companion brown dwarf. The two stars form a binary system and orbit each other in about 10 years. Brown dwarfs represent a class of intermediate objects between giant planets, like Jupiter, and "normal" stars less massive than our Sun. (External press release)
Venus Transit demonstrates planet-finding method (June 8, 2004) On Tuesday, the planet Venus crossed the Sun's disc for about seven hours, an event not seen since 1882. The transit demonstrated a key technique being used to detect planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. (External press release)
Telescope detects possible evidence of very young planet (May 27, 2004) NASA has announced new findings from the Spitzer Space Telescope, including evidence of what may be the youngest planet ever found and the discovery of significant amounts of icy organic materials sprinkled throughout several planet-forming discs that circle infant stars. (External press release)
Two architectures chosen for Terrestrial Planet Finder (May 10, 2004) For the first time, astronomers have discovered a planet around a star beyond our solar system using gravitational microlensing, an effect predicted by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity. The new finding brings the total number of planets discovered outside our solar system to 122.
Cosmic magnifying glass reveals new planet (April 13, 2004) For the first time, astronomers have discovered a planet around a star beyond our solar system using gravitational microlensing, an effect predicted by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity. The new finding brings the total number of planets discovered outside our solar system to 122.
Primary mirror installed on Large Binocular Telescope (March 30, 2004) The first of two huge primary mirrors has been installed in the Large Binocular Telescope, marking another important milestone in the construction of a ground-based instrument that will obtain images of planets around other stars.
New campaign to seek Earths via microlensing (March 23, 2004) An international group of astronomers will begin searching for Earth-mass planets with an enhanced world-wide telescope network in May this year. (Royal Astronomical Society press release)
Venus Transit and the Search for New Worlds (March 19, 2004) Classrooms and the public were invited to participate in a live webcast about a rare astronomical event coming up this summer. (Pre-recorded)
Nearest, youngest star with planet nursery found (February 26, 2004) Astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered the nearest and youngest star with a visible disk of dust that may be a nursery for planets.
Oxygen, carbon detected in extrasolar planet atmosphere (February 2, 2004) Oxygen, carbon detected in extrasolar planet atmosphere (February 2, 2004) - Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope have observed oxygen and carbon in the atmosphere of a planet beyond our Solar System for the first time. The planet, HD 209458b, is a "hot jupiter" located 150 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Pegasus. (External press release)
Mars mission offers clues in hunt for new worlds (January 15, 2004) Is there another Mars out there? Within the next decade or so, NASA plans to develop space telescopes with super-sharp vision that can detect planets like Mars or Earth around other stars. In the meantime, learning as much as possible about our terrestrial next-door neighbors is helping scientists understand what to look for.
Astronomers discover 2 new planets around giant stars (January 7, 2004) A team of astronomers this week announced the discovery of two new planets orbiting giant stars, bringing to 118 the total number of known extrasolar planets and providing evidence that a planet can survive the evolution of its host star into a giant.
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