Astronomy
Tales (Tails?) Of Three Comets
As the Chinese proverb says, “May you live in interesting times,” and while the promise of Comet ISON dazzling observers…
How Dark Matter Could Reduce The Fleet Of Galaxies Following The Milky Way
Funny how small particle interactions can have such a big effect on the neighbors of the Milky Way. For a…
Gliese 15Ab: The Closest Known Super-Earth?
Our solar neighborhood is rich with planetary systems. Within 20 light-years we’ve detected sizzling gas giants and rocky planets orbiting…
The Nicaragua Crater: The Result of a Meteorite Impact or Not?
By now, you’ve seen the pictures. As astronomers tracked the close pass of Near Earth Asteroid 2014 RC this weekend,…
Rosetta’s Cloudy Comet Shroud Spotted From The Ground, While Spacecraft Picks Up Dust Grains
This picture shows it is possible to look at Rosetta's comet from Earth, but what a lot of work it…
MAVEN Mars Orbiter Ideally Poised to Uniquely Map Comet Siding Spring Composition – Exclusive Interview with Principal Investigator Bruce Jakosky
MAVEN to conduct up close observations of Comet Siding Spring during Oct. 2014 MAVEN is NASA’s next Mars Orbiter and…
Second Possible Proto-Planet Found In System Pretty Close To Earth
Astronomers have found what they believe is a second protoplanet around HD100546, a youngster star that may also host a…
A New Marker Might Better Track the Solar Cycle
Approximately every 11 years the Sun becomes violently active, putting on a show of magnetic activity for aurora watchers and…
One Planet, Two Stars: A System More Common Than Previously Thought
There are few environments more hostile than a planet circling two stars. Powerful tidal forces from the stars can easily…
Get Ready for Sunday’s Close Flyby of Asteroid 2014 RC
Guess who's dropping by for a quick visit this weekend? On Sunday, a 60-foot-wide (20-meters) asteroid named 2014 RC will…