Space News
"Feeding Sagittarius A*"--The Monster at the Center of the Milky Way
The Daily Galaxy - 23 Dec 2016 16:59
The colossal black hole at the center of the Milky Way -- called "Sagittarius A*" because it is found in the constellation Sagittarius -- has a gravitational mass that is four million times greater than our own sun. Yet ...
The Expanse Expanded
Bad Astronomy - 23 Dec 2016 15:45
Regular readers know how big a scifi nerd I am. Star Trek, Doctor Who, 12 Monkeys... I love science fiction that tells big, grand stories. Right now, one of the best scifi shows on TV --heck, one of the best shows on TV-...
Wind tunnel testing for next version of NASA's space launch system
Phys.org - 23 Dec 2016 13:35
As engines are fired, software written and hardware welded to prepare for the first flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), engineers are already running tests in supersonic wind tunnels to develop the next, more pow...
Sandy Dunes Of Namibia Seen From Orbit
SpaceRef - 23 Dec 2016 02:19
Thomas Pesquet: The sandy dunes of Namibia seem to flow straight into the Atlantic ocean ....
Image: Pandora up close
Phys.org - 23 Dec 2016 13:55
This image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft is one of the highest-resolution views ever taken of Saturn's moon Pandora. Pandora (52 miles, 84 kilometers) across orbits Saturn just outside the narrow F ring.
Today's "Galaxy" Stream --Dark Matter and Dinosaurs (VIEW)
The Daily Galaxy - 23 Dec 2016 16:37
If the solar system, as it orbited the center of the galaxy, were to move through the Milky Way's dark-matter disk, Lisa Randall (Warped Passages, Knocking on Heaven's Door), one of our most influential theoretical physi...
Christmas Stargazing: What to Look for in the Yuletide Sky
SPACE.com - 23 Dec 2016 14:00
Christmas week is here, and the night sky obliges by presenting a beautiful display of celestial sights, perfectly timed to coincide with the holiday.
No damage to JWST after vibration test anomaly
Space News - 23 Dec 2016 23:16
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows no signs of damage after an "anomaly" during a vibration test earlier in the month, the agency announced Dec. 23. SpaceNews.com
Milky Way Nebula NGC 248
SpaceRef - 23 Dec 2016 02:10
The sheer observing power of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is rarely better illustrated than in an image such as this....
Earth from Space: China's Tian Shan Mountains
SpaceRef - 23 Dec 2016 15:57
Sentinel-2A takes us over northwestern China near the border with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in this false-colour image....
Hubble Spots Festive Nebula in Neighboring Galaxy
Universe Today - 23 Dec 2016 00:21
Just in time for the holidays, a team of astronomers have released Hubble images that show a bright and festive pair of nebulas The post Hubble Spots Festive Nebula in Neighboring Galaxy appeared first on Universe Today.
Make Christmas Cosmic with NORAD's Track Santa & Space Holiday Cards
SPACE.com - 23 Dec 2016 14:00Once upon a time...
ESA - 23 Dec 2016 20:03
A feature-length compilation of the amazing adventures of Rosetta and Philae
How Do We Colonize Saturn's Moons?
Universe Today - 23 Dec 2016 01:12
The idea of colonization of Saturn's moons is attractive and presents many benefits, even if it is a challenging and distant prospect. The post How Do We Colonize Saturn’s Moons? appeared first on Universe Today.
Shhhh...the Real Stars of "Passengers" are a Robot and a Spaceship
Discover - 23 Dec 2016 20:16
By now you've probably seen those soulful faces staring out at you from the ads for the new movie Passengers: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt playing Aurora Land and Jim Preston, two would-be interplanetary colonists w...
NASA's Fermi Space Telescope Finds First Gamma-Ray Binary Star Beyond the Milky Way --"A Morphed Supernova?"
The Daily Galaxy - 23 Dec 2016 19:10
Using data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and other facilities, an international team of scientists has found the first gamma-ray binary in another galaxy and the most luminous one ever seen. The dual-star s...
Weekly Space Hangout - December 23, 2016: Mathew Anderson's "Our Cosmic Story"
Universe Today - 23 Dec 2016 18:45
Host: Fraser Cain (@fcain) Special Guest: Mathew Anderson is the author of “”Our Cosmic Story”” available on Amazon in January, 2017. He wrote “”Our Cosmic Story”” in interest from his years studying scie...
Have you noticed the Christmas Star in South-West after sunset?
PTTU - 23 Dec 2016 18:10
Stellar Astrophysics Centre at the University of Aarhus: You can find the video here, and the previous ones at the YouTube site Astronomi Aarhus Universitet. A merry Christmas from all of us in Aarhus.
NASA ISS Space to Ground Holiday Report - 22 December 2016
SpaceRef - 23 Dec 2016 17:30
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station....
Astronomers observe rise and fall of the dust shell of nova V339 Delphini
Phys.org - 23 Dec 2016 15:50
(Phys.org)--A team of astronomers led by Aneurin Evans of the Keele University, U.K., has observed the classical nova V339 Delphini (V339 Del for short) and spotted some peculiar changes in its dust shell. These observat...
What Was the Star of Bethlehem? Astronomy Meets Religion in Slooh Webcast
SPACE.com - 23 Dec 2016 14:00
What cosmic light could have guided the Three Wise Men to the newborn baby Jesus 2,000 years ago? Learn about all the theories in a free webcast today (Dec. 23) by the Slooh Community Observatory.
Boeing, Engility Get Holiday Contracts From the Air Force
SPACE.com - 23 Dec 2016 11:04
The U.S. Air Force added $8.8 million to Boeing's Wideband Global Satcom contract to help operate and maintain the constellation through 2017, according to contracting information the Department of Defense released Dec. ...