ScienceCasts
Latest ScienceCast: Pink Planet at Sunset
The planet Mercury is about to make its best apparition of the year for backyard sky watchers. Look west at sunset for a piercing pink planet surrounded by twilight blue.
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A Naked-Eye Comet in March 2013
A comet falling in from the distant reaches of the solar system could become a naked-eye object in early March. This is Comet Pan-STARRS's first visit to the inner solar system, so surprises are possible as its virgin ices are exposed to intense solar heating.
Record-Setting Asteroid Flyby
On Feb. 15th an asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth closer than many man-made satellites. Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, astronomers have never seen an object so big come so close to our planet.
Comet of the Century
Astronomers are keeping a close eye on a newly-discovered Comet ISON, which could become visible in broad daylight later this year when it skims through the atmosphere of the sun.
Dark Lightning
Researchers studying thunderstorms have made a surprising discovery: The lightning we see with our eyes has a dark competitor that discharges storm clouds and flings antimatter into space. Astrophysicists and meteorologists are scrambling to understand "dark lightning."
Christmas Sky Show
The Moon and Jupiter are converging for a heavenly sky show on Christmas 2012. Got a telescope? Something extra-special is happening on Jupiter that makes it an appealing target for backyard optics.
Why the World Didn't End Yesterday
NASA is so sure the world won't come to an end on Dec. 21, 2012, that they already released a video for the day after.
Rock Comet Meteor Shower
The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Dec. 13th and 14th when Earth runs through a stream of debris from a strange object that some astronomers are calling a "rock comet."
The Diner at the Center of the Galaxy
The Milky Way's supermassive black hole is generally a picky eater, but NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft recently caught it in the act of having a snack!
NASA's Cure for a Common Phobia
NASA has an unusual candidate for the astronaut corps--a rubber chicken. Seriously. Beloved by schoolchildren around the country, Camilla the rubber chicken has been training in fighter jets, flying to the edge of space, and visiting classrooms around the country as she prepares to go where no chicken has gone before.
Total Eclipse of the Sun
Scientists and sky watchers are converging on the northeast coast of Australia, near the Great Barrier Reef, for a total eclipse of the sun.
Fried Planets
Astronomers have caught a red giant star in the act of devouring one of its planets. It could be a preview of what will happen to Earth five billion years from now.
A Meteor Shower from Halley's Comet
Soon, Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect 25 meteors per hour when the shower peaks on Oct. 21st.
The Sound of Earthsong
A NASA spacecraft has recorded eerie-sounding radio emissions coming from our own planet. These beautiful "songs of Earth" could, ironically, be responsible for the proliferation of deadly electrons in the Van Allen Belts.
Why Curiosity Matters
A former rock-n-roller turned NASA engineer explains why he thinks Curiosity--both the Mars rover and the human desire to learn new things--matters to ordinary people on Earth.
Weird Planets
Once, astronomers thought planets couldn't form around binary stars. Now Kepler has found a whole system of planets orbiting a double star. This finding shows that planetary systems are weirder and more abundant than previously thought.
The Radiation Belt Storm Probes
Most spacecraft try to avoid the Van Allen Belts, two doughnut-shaped regions around Earth filled with "killer electrons." This morning NASA launched two heavily-shielded spacecraft directly into the belts. The Radiation Belt Storm Probes are on a two-year mission to study the Van Allen Belts and to unravel the mystery of their unpredictability.
Watch Out For The Blue Moon
The second full Moon of August--a "Blue Moon"--is just around the corner. It will probably look just like any other full Moon but, on rare occasions, the Moon really does turn blue. Could it happen this month?
Where Will Curiosity Go First?
Curiosity is safe on Mars and ready to roll. In this video from Science@NASA, project scientist John Grotzinger discusses where the rover might go first.
The 2012 Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseid meteor shower is underway. There's more to see than meteors, however, when the shower peaks on August 11th through 13th. The brightest planets in the solar system are lining up in the middle of the display.
Meteor Smoke Makes Strange Clouds
A key ingredient of Earth's strangest clouds does not come from Earth. New data from NASA's AIM spacecraft proves that "meteor smoke" is essential to the formation of noctilucent clouds.
Mars Landing Sky Show
On the same night Curiosity lands on Mars, a "Martian Triangle" will appear in sunset skies of Earth. The first-magnitude apparition on August 5th gives space fans something to do while they wait for news from the Red Planet.
A Taste of Solar Maximum
Solar maximum is still a year away. This month sky watchers got a taste of things to come when a powerful flare sparked Northern Lights over the United States as far south as Arkansas, Colorado and California.
The First Extraterrestrial Marathon
More than 8 years after landing on the Red Planet, Mars rover Opportunity is still running. Indeed, mission planners say the tireless robot is poised to complete a full marathon--the first ever long-distance race on an alien planet.
A Good Reason to Wake Up at Dawn
The brightest planets in the solar system are converging for a beautiful sunrise sky show in early July.
Hidden Magnetic Portals Around Earth
A NASA-sponsored researcher at the University of Iowa has developed a way for spacecraft to hunt down hidden magnetic portals in the vicinity of Earth. These portals link the magnetic field of our planet to that of the sun.
Voyager 1 at the Final Frontier
At the edge of the solar system, Voyager 1 is reporting a sharp increase in cosmic rays that could herald the spacecraft's long-awaited entry into interstellar space.
Why Won't the Supernova Explode?
A question has been troubling astronomers: Why won't the supernova explode? Although real stars blow up, the best computer models of dying stars do not result in much of a bang. NASA has launched a new observatory named "NuSTAR" to seek out the missing physics of exploding stars.
A Titanic Collision
Astronomers no longer have any doubt: Our Milky Way Galaxy will have a head-on collision with Andromeda. Fortunately, they say, Earth will survive when the two great star systems meet 4 billions years from now.
ISS Transit of Venus
It won't happen again until December 2117. On June 5th, 2012, Venus will transit the face of the sun in an event of both historical and observational importance. The best places to watch are in the south Pacific, but travel is not required. The event will also be visible around sunset from the USA.
Partial Eclipse of the Strawberry Moon
On Monday, June 4th, the Moon will pass through the shadow of Earth, producing a partial lunar eclipse visible across the Pacific from China to the United States.
The 2012 Transit of Venus
It won't happen again until December 2117. On June 5th, 2012, Venus will transit the face of the sun in an event of both historical and observational importance. The best places to watch are in the south Pacific, but travel is not required. The event will also be visible around sunset from the USA.
Don't Judge a Moon by its Cover
Superficially, Saturn's moon Phoebe doesn't look much like a planet, but on the inside, the little gray moon has a lot in common with worlds like Earth.
A Star Turns Inside Out
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has mapped the debris of a supernova and discovered that the explosion may have turned the original star inside out. Peering into the heart of the inverted star, astronomers have found the atoms of life itself.
Amateur Scientists Discover Galactic Bubbles
Amateur scientists have made a effervescent discovery: The Milky Way Galaxy is bubbling like a glass of champagne.
Here Comes Solar Maximum
Solar storms and Northern Lights are in the offing as the sun approaches Solar Max, expected in mid-to-late 2013. Recently, Earth's defenses were tested by a volley of strong eruptions.
April is the Cruelest Month
One year after the historic tornado outbreak of April 27-28, 2011, researchers say they've learned a few things about deadly twisters. This ScienceCast presents some of the scientific findings that emerged from the swath of destruction.
A Wonderful Night in April
If you have to chose just one night in April to go out and look at the stars, NASA scientists say it should be April 21st. This week's ScienceCast explains what makes that one night so special.
Getting to Know the Goldilocks Planet
NASA's Kepler spacecraft is discovering a veritable avalanche of alien worlds. As the numbers mount, it seems to be just a matter of time before Kepler finds what astronomers are really looking for: an Earth-like planet orbiting its star in the "Goldilocks zone".
The Surprising Power of a Solar Storm
A flurry of solar activity in early March dumped enough heat in Earth's upper atmosphere to power every residence in New York City for two years. The heat has since dissipated, but there's more to come as the solar cycle intensifies.
Mysterious Objects at the Edge of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope is finding hundreds of new objects at the very edge of the electromagnetic spectrum. Many of them have one thing in common: Astronomers have no idea what they are.
Super Moon of May 2012
Another "super-Moon" is in the offing. The perigee full Moon in May will be as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons of 2012.
Auroras Underfoot
Lately, the International Space Station has been flying through geomagnetic storms, giving astronauts an close-up view of the aurora borealis just outside their windows.
Curiosity, The Stunt Double
En route to the Red Planet, Mars rover Curiosity has experienced the strongest solar radiation storm since 2005. No need to be alarmed: Researchers say it's all part of Curiosity's job as a 'stunt double' for human astronauts.
An Alignment of Planets
The brightest planets in the night sky are aligning for a must-see show in late February and March 2012. Start looking tonight!
Alien Matter In The Solar System
"Alien matter" detected by a NASA spacecraft orbiting Earth shows that the chemical make-up of our solar system differs from that of the surrounding galaxy. Researchers discuss the possible meaning of this mismatch in this week's ScienceCast video.
Mission To Land On A Comet
Europe’s Rosetta spacecraft is en route to intercept a comet– and to make history. In 2014, Rosetta will enter orbit around 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and land a probe on it for a front row seat as the comet heads toward the sun.
Solar Eclipse in the USA
A "ring of fire" solar eclipse is coming to the USA this spring. It's the first annular eclipse visible from the contiguous United States in almost 18 years.
What Happened to all the Snow?
Winter seems to have been on hold this year in some parts of the United States. Snowfall has been scarce in places that were overwhelmed with the white stuff at the same time last year. In this ScienceCast, JPL climatologist Bill Patzert explains what's going on.
Some Comets Like It Hot
Astronomers are still scratching their heads over Comet Lovejoy, which plunged through the atmosphere of the sun in December and, against all odds, survived. The comet is now receding into the outer solar system leaving many mysteries behind.
Re-thinking an Alien World
A distant super-Earth named "55 Cancri e" is wetter and weirder than astronomers thought possible. The discovery has researchers re-thinking the nature of alien worlds.
Tracking Meteoroids
A new iPhone app just released by NASA harnesses the power of citizen scientists to track space debris around Earth.
Smallest Terrestrial Planet?
NASA's Dawn probe, now orbiting Vesta in the asteroid belt, has found some surprising things on the giant asteroid--things that have prompted one researcher to declare Vesta "the smallest terrestrial planet."
A Super-Sized Lunar Eclipse
On Dec 10th, sky watchers in the western United States will witness a total lunar eclipse swollen to super-sized proportions by the Moon illusion.
The Great Lakes of Europa
Scientists studying data from NASA's Galileo probe have discovered what appears to be a body of liquid water the volume of the North American Great Lakes locked inside the icy shell of Jupiter's moon Europa. This improves the odds that Europa is a habitat for extraterrestrial life.
Terrifying Auroras
A distant world is being hit by solar storms so ferocious, the entire planet is probably enveloped in auroras. Researchers speculate that the display is probably as beautiful as it is terrifying.
Lunar Ionosphere
How can a world without air have an ionosphere? Somehow the Moon has done it. Lunar researchers have been struggling with this mystery for years, and they may have finally found a solution.
Stellar Extremophiles
A NASA space telescope named "GALEX" has found stars forming in extreme galactic environments, places where researchers thought stars should not be. The finding could affect astronomy much as the discovery of microbial extremophiles affected biology in the 1970s.
A Star with Spiral Arms
Using a Japanese telescope, NASA-supported researchers have found the first clear case of a star with spiral arms.
The Sleepy Hollows of Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER probe has discovered a surprise on Mercury: Something is digging "hollows" in the surface of the innermost planet.
600 Mysteries in the Night Sky
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope recently produced a map of the night sky. Out of 1873 new sources, nearly 600 were complete mysteries. In this week's ScienceCast, researchers speculate on the nature of the mystery objects - including the possibility that they are made of dark matter.
Draconid Meteor Outburst
Forecasters say Earth is heading for a stream of dust from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. A close encounter with the comet's fragile debris could spark a meteor outburst over parts of our planet on October 8th.
The Strange Attraction of Gale Crater
NASA's newest rover Curiosity is getting ready to leave Earth. It's destination: Gale crater on Mars. Today's story from Science@NASA explains the attraction of this Martian crater with a strangely-sculpted mountain the middle.
Did Earth Have Two Moons?
Did our planet once have two moons? Some researchers say so. Moreover, the missing satellite might still be up there--splattered across the far side of the Moon. NASA's GRAIL mission could help confirm or refute the "two moon" hypothesis.
Secret Lives of Solar Flares
Researchers have just discovered that solar flares have been keeping a secret--and it's a big one.
Cool Stars
Stars as cold as the human body? Believe it. A NASA spacecraft has discovered a half-dozen "Y Dwarfs" with atmospheric temperatures as low as 80 F.
Visit To Pluto
Dwarf planet Pluto is a world of mystery waiting to be visited for the first time. NASA's New Horizons probe is racing across the solar system for a ground breaking close encounter that could dramatically alter what researchers "know" about Pluto and other small worlds.
Breath Of Fresh Air
The same kind of oxygen humans breath on Earth has been found in deep space. It's a breath of fresh air for astronomers who have been searching for cosmic "O2" until now without success.
Bright Perseid Photographed from Space
On August 13th, space station astronaut Ron Garan photographed a centimeter-sized chunk of comet debris disintegrating in Earth's atmosphere. His rare photo of a meteor from Earth orbit is a must-see.
Dawn's Smooth Move
NASA's Dawn spacecraft doesn't do things like other missions. In July it slipped into orbit around asteroid Vesta using a smooth move that made mission planners want to get up and dance.
What Lies Inside Jupiter
For four long centuries the gas giant's vast interior has remained hidden from view. NASA's Juno probe, scheduled to launch on August 5th, could change all that.
Sun Grazing Comet
On July 5th, a comet dove into the sun and disintegrated. New footage just released by NASA shows the final stages
Summer Meteor Shower
If you're camping out and can't sleep, maybe your slumber is being interrupted by the flash of meteors. The summer Perseid meteor shower is getting underway as Earth enters the debris stream from comet Swift-Tuttle.
Dark Fireworks
NASA has just released new movies of an "inky-dark" solar explosion that continues to puzzle experts more than a month after it happened.
An Astronomer's Dilemma - Planet Hunting
Stars are bright, but their planets are not, which makes planet hunting difficult. However, NASA's ultraviolet telescope GALEX may be providing a solution.
Wild Weather
Record snowfall, killer tornadoes, devastating floods: There's no doubt about it. Since Dec. 2010, the weather in the USA has been positively wild. But why?
Power of Sea Salt
Aquarius is the first NASA sensor to track ocean salinity from space, and aims to help uncover how the salinity of Earth’s oceans are effecting our climate.
Big Surprise
NASA's Voyager probes have reached the edge of the solar system and found something surprising there--a froth of magnetic bubbles separating us from the rest of the galaxy.
Salute to Spirit
It's been more than a year since NASA has heard from Mars rover Spirit. The agency says it may be time to say " thanks and farewell."
Superflares
Something is exploding in the Crab Nebula ten billion times more powerful than a solar flare. These "superflares"e; are baffling astronomers who haven't yet figured out the source of the blasts.
Space-Time Vortex
NASA has announced the results of an epic physics experiment which confirms the reality of a space-time vortex around our planet.
Morning Planet Show
The Great Morning Planet Show of May 2011 is underway. Wake up before sunrise any day this month to see a shape-shifting alignment of heavenly lights.
Voyager Set to Enter the Milky Way
More than 30 years after they were launched, NASA's two Voyager probes have traveled to the edge of the solar system and are on the doorstep of interstellar space.
Meteors from Halley's Comet
Earth is about to pass through a stream of dust from Halley's Comet, source of the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. The show begins before sunrise on May 6th.
Solar Activity Heats Up
With a burst of solar flares and Northern Lights, the sun is waking up from a three-year slumber.
Spring is Fireball Season
For reasons researchers do not understand, the rate of midnight fireballs increases during the weeks around the vernal equinox. It's a beautiful display, but where do they come from? NASA's growing network of fireball cameras is scanning the heavens for answers.
The Superfluid Core of a Dead Star
Strange quantum fluids that love to sneak out of cups have been found trapped inside the core of a dead neutron star.
Mystery of the Missing Sunspots
When solar activity recently plunged into a century-class minimum, many experts were puzzled. Now a group of researchers say they have cracked the mystery of the missing sunspots.
Super Moon
Mark your calendar. On March 19th, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It's a super "perigee moon"--the biggest in almost 20 years.
Thundersnow
Last month, NASA scientists got a rare chance to study "thundersnow" first-hand when a freak winter storm rolled right over their research center.
NanoSail-D
High overhead, out of the darkness, a bright light surges into view. For 5 to 10 seconds it outshines the brightest stars in the sky, mimicking a supernova, perhaps even casting faint shadows at your feet. The silence is broken by your own excited shouts. Could this happen to you? It could, if you happen to be outside when NanoSail-D flies by.