Space News
Zero Gravity Day on Sunday: This Hoax Holds No Weight
SPACE.com - 2 Jan 2015 21:40
The 'Zero Gravity Day' hoax currently spreading on the Internet was actually an April Fools' Day joke told in 1976.
Rogue Star HIP 85605 on Collision Course with our Solar System, but Earthlings Need Not Worry
Universe Today - 2 Jan 2015 17:22
It’s known as HIP 85605, one of two stars that make up a binary in the Hercules constellation roughly 16 light years away. And if a recent research paper produced by Dr. Coryn Bailer-Jones of the Max Planck Institute f...
Russian space medic who led Mars experiment dies at 64
Phys.org - 2 Jan 2015 11:48
Boris Morukov, a Russian cosmonaut and doctor who led an extraordinary experiment in which volunteers simulated a flight to Mars while never leaving a Moscow car park, has died at 64, his scientific institute said Friday...
Planet Venus to Dazzle Stargazers in 2015 Night Sky
SPACE.com - 2 Jan 2015 22:26
Currently hovering very low in the southwest twilight sky near the setting sun these evenings is the most brilliant of the planets: Venus. And in the New Year, this planet will truly shine.
Kodiak Launch Site Repairs Continue Despite Alaska Governor's Order
Space News - 2 Jan 2015 21:46
An executive order by the new governor of Alaska halting discretionary spending at the state's spaceport will not stop its ongoing repairs but could affect other activities there, spaceport officials said. The post Kodia...
Finding Lovejoy: How to Follow the Path of Comet 2014 Q2 Through January
Universe Today - 2 Jan 2015 20:15
Have you seen the amazing pics? A bright comet graces evening skies this month, assuring that 2015 is already on track to be a great year for astronomy. We're talking about Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy. Discovered by comet hu...
Boris Morukov, Veteran Cosmonaut Who Led Mock Mars Mission, Dies at 64
SPACE.com - 2 Jan 2015 20:05
Cosmonaut Boris Morukov, a physician and researcher who flew on a U.S. space shuttle to the International Space Station and led a 520-day simulated mission to Mars, died on Jan. 1. He was 64.
Tonight's Sky: January 2015
SpaceRef - 2 Jan 2015 20:00
Backyard stargazers get a monthly guide to the northern hemisphere's skywatching events with "Tonight's Sky." In January, the Quadrantid meteor shower will flicker through the night sky....
NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 31 December 2014
SpaceRef - 2 Jan 2015 19:58
Today: ISS SERVIR ("to serve" in Spanish) Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV): Wilmore and Cristoforetti viewed an ISERV Payload On-Board Training video and procedures to become familiar with removal ...
Raindrops Are like Tiny Asteroid Strikes
Discover - 2 Jan 2015 17:32
Rainshowers are a lot more dramatic if you imagine every drop is a tiny asteroid imperiling miniature dinosaurs or sending little astronaut Ben Afflecks into space. It turns out your fantasy wouldn't be that far off, asi...
Some Capsules Float Nose Down
SpaceRef - 2 Jan 2015 16:14
The Skylab 4 Command Module bobs in an apex-down configuration (stable two)....
Western Sahara Desert As Seen From Orbit
SpaceRef - 2 Jan 2015 16:07
The Western Sahara Desert is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 38 crew member on the International Space Station....
Kepler Candidate Planets Searched for Signs of Intelligent Life
SPACE.com - 2 Jan 2015 15:19
A recent Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) effort studied 86 candidates in the Kepler space observatory's field for radio signals that could potentially indicate the presence of an intelligent civilization.
An Icy Volcano and the Cosmic Cycle of Life
Bad Astronomy - 2 Jan 2015 14:30
Living on the edge of the Rocky Mountains in the winter means getting up every morning and seeing those snow-capped peaks poking out over the nearer foothills. It's a magnificent view to occupy me as I wait for my coffee...
New analyses of Martian chemical maps suggest water bound to sulfates in soil
EurekAlert! - 2 Jan 2015 07:00
(Louisiana State University) A research team led by LSU geology and geophysics assistant professor Suniti Karunatillake reveals a spatial association between the presence of sulfur and hydrogen found in martian soil.