Space News
SpaceX Grasshopper Performs Divert Maneuver
Universe Today - 14 Aug 2013 15:23
SpaceX proved yesterday that their Grasshopper prototype Vertical Takeoff Vertical Landing (VTVL) vehicle can do more than just go straight up and down. The goal of the test, said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Twitter was, "ha...
Bright New Nova In Delphinus -- You can See it Tonight With Binoculars
Universe Today - 14 Aug 2013 23:31
Looking around for something new to see in your binoculars or telescope tonight? How about an object whose name literally means "new". Japanese amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki of Yamagata discovered an apparent nova or...
Satellite Watches Dust from Chelyabinsk Meteor Spread Around the Northern Hemisphere
Universe Today - 14 Aug 2013 22:01
When a meteor weighing 10,000 metric tons exploded 22.5 km (14 miles) above Chelyabinsk, Russia on Feb. 15, 2013, the news of the event spread quickly around the world. But that's not all that circulated around the world...
The Strong Magnetic Field Around Our Galaxy's Black Hole
Discover - 14 Aug 2013 19:00
Even though they're among the most compelling topics to study, black holes are still mysterious to astronomers. Since its discovery nearly 40 years ago, the black hole at the center of our galaxy has eluded most close sc...
The USAF's 'Space Fence' Surveillance System: Another Victim of Sequestration
Universe Today - 14 Aug 2013 18:33
Times are getting tougher in the battle to track space debris. A key asset in the fight to follow and monitor space junk is getting the axe on October 1st of this year. United States Air Force General and commander of Ai...
An Occult Occurrence: Saturn's Moon Iapetus Blocks a Background Star
Universe Today - 14 Aug 2013 18:08
It's a cosmic cover-up! No, don't put your tinfoil* hats on, this isn't a conspiracy -- it's just Saturn's moon Iapetus drifting in front of a background star, captured on Cassini's narrow-angle camera on August 10, 2013...
These 12 Asteroids Are The Easiest Ones To Bring Back To Earth
Universe Today - 14 Aug 2013 15:31
As NASA works through proposals for an asteroid retrieval mission, a new paper shows that there are other research groups considering which asteroids to pick first. One scientific team has identified 12 "Easily Retrievab...